Dutch Government on the verge of falling.

[jeron]

Can any Dutch give me a summary of how disastrous this government has been? I know Wilders is a bigot, but I mean in terms of policy.

Where to start? The problem is that the government had to compromise too much with Wilders and to a lesse extent with the orthodox-christian SGP.

There are clear problems on the housing market and on the labour market, but the government did nothing to adress these problems because the PVV did not want to.
Tougher laws so that 'criminal' immigrants can be sent back to their own country.
Cuts on education for children with sepcial needs.
Cuts on nature and environment and no investment in renewable energy.
Massive cuts and higher VAT on culture because this is a 'leftist' hobby.
The Romanian PM does not want to officially receive the Dutch ambassador, because the Netherlands is the only country in the EU that blocks Romanian entry in 'Schengen'
Wilders made an anti-Polish immigrants website and the government said nothing!

To appease the SGP the liberal VVD:

- retracted its support for a co-sponsored bill to remove blasphemy from criminal law;
- voted against a resolution that would force civil servants to marry same-sex couples;
- rejected an initiative to grant the elderly the right to end their lives if they so desire.

[jeron]

Oh, I do hope the party gets absolutely destroyed.

Which would be quite the remarkable thing, from a historical perspective.

Well, in a poll this sunday CDA now has 11 seats (down 3 seats from last week and 10 seats from the last election ). Other parties:

VVD  33
PVV  19
PvdA 24
SP  30
D66  15
GroenLinks 5
CU  6
SGP  3
PvdD  3
50Plus  1

[jeron]

Are there any feasible leadership candidates? Verhagen seems to be the de facto heart of the party, but I understand he doesn't want the job?

Maybe a September election could be a blessing to the CDA as a relatively unknown new leader may then have the time to properly distantiate himself a little from the party's course over the past 2 years and regain a bit of the base that left the party over it. On the other hand, just how credible would any such attempt be?

Voters don't want Verhagen. Possible candidates are ministers De Jager and Spies or maybe leader in the lower house Van Haersma Buma. Of course, it will be hard for them to distance themselves from the party line.
It now seems there is a clear majority for an election at the end of June or possibly early July so there's not much time left for CDA to elect a new leader.

[jeron]

PvdA is now willing to compromise on September 5 as election date, which gives a large majority in parliament for this date.

It will probably be September 12.

Isn't that a relatively long time to be without a "functioning" government? (Guess Belgians might not see it that way )

Yes. It was a choice between the end of June (before the summer vacation), but that would have meant there was little time for parties to prepare for the elections, or after the summer vacation.