Coronavirus pandemic casts long shadow over Dutch elections

FILE - In this Sunday Feb. 28, 2012 file photo, demonstrators hold a Dutch flag with it's center cut out as another man, rear, holds a banner during a demonstration of several hundreds of people who protested against the coronavirus lockdown and curfew on Museum Square in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch vote next week in a general election. Many voters approve of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s handling of the crisis but his popularity has waned in recent weeks. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 file photo, a man shields his eyes from the sun as he looks up at an election billboard with a multitude of political parties, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Many voters approve of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s handling of the crisis but his popularity has waned in recent weeks. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - In this Friday Feb. 26, 2021 file photo, two people pass election posters in Den Bosch, Netherlands. The Dutch vote next week in a general election. Many voters approve of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s handling of the crisis but his popularity has waned in recent weeks. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)