Covid has ‘taken wind out of Dutch politics’, analysts say as elections loom

Mark Rutte enters final leg of race in dominant position despite difficult phase' of pandemic

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Coronavirus has completely taken the wind out of Dutch politics", analysts say, predicting little change in the makeup of the coalition government after March elections as the prime minister, Mark Rutte, begins cautiously easing restrictions.

Despite three nights of rioting and 400 arrests after the night-time curfew, the first since the second world war, was imposed in January, and one of Europe's slowest vaccine rollouts, Rutte enters the last two weeks of the election race in a dominant position.