Frankly, not a lot has happened this week, which is the penultimate one before the 15 March elections. Still, here are some recent developments; none of them game-changing, but they may be of interest to political observers.

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Contrary to all expectations the VVD+PvdA Rutte II government is likely to reach the end of its natural life. Elections are slated for 15 March 2017, and it seems likely government will not fall before that date. This would be the first time since 1998 that government survives unscathed until the next regular elections.

Now that all politicians have returned from recess they are starting up their electioneering; not yet with a fully-fledged campaign (that will happen only in February or so), but with positioning their party to go into the elections as a favourite. Most political moves of the next seven months will be aimed squarely at 15 March.

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A few political items that happened to catch my eye:

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Last Wednesday a plane crash near Tripoli, Libya, killed about 70 Dutch, with one boy miraculously surviving. This caused a big shock; not least because the sleaziest newspaper in the country, VVD-supporting De Telegraaf, conducted an interview with the surviving boy during which, it is said, they told him his parents and brother had all died.

In reaction most political parties temporarily suspended their campaigns. Not that the campaigns have started in earnest yet, but several party leaders were slated to appear at rallies throughout the country, and a radio debate was scheduled for today. These have all been cancelled.

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