Euroskepticism is about to have its first test of 2017. The Netherlands will hold general elections on March 15 to appoint the 150 members of the country's House of Representatives. The vote will be followed by elections in key European Union members France (in April and May) and Germany (in September).

The Netherlands' proportional electoral system means that around a dozen political parties will win seats in parliament. No single party will be able to govern alone, and a coalition of multiple parties will probably be required to form a government. Opinion polls show that Prime Minister Mark Rutte's center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is competing neck and neck for first place with the nationalist Party for Freedom.

The Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, has a strong anti-Muslim agenda and wants the Netherlands to leave the European Union. Regardless of how it performs, the party will struggle to form a government. Most of the other parties competing in the elections have already said they would not accept the Party for Freedom as a coalition partner.

While the Netherlands has experienced modest economic growth in recent years and Dutch unemployment is among the lowest in the European Union, Wilders has attracted voters who feel that they have not benefited from the country's prosperity. He has also inspired followers who are wary of immigration (especially from Muslim countries) and see it as detrimental to Dutch identity and security.

Even if Wilders fails to become prime minister, his candidacy has influenced the tone of the political debate in the Netherlands, with moderate parties adopting elements from the Party of Freedom's agenda. In January, for example, Rutte published a message in newspapers asking immigrants to "behave normally" or leave the country. On the issue of EU membership, opinion polls show that most Dutch voters want to remain in the continental bloc, but are still critical of it.

Once the vote is complete, there is no time limit to appoint a government. Coalition negotiations among parties could last weeks, if not months. In theory, a coalition should control at least 76 seats in parliament, though a minority government is also possible. The more parties included in the coalition, the more room for political friction and disagreements in the new Dutch government. A strong performance by the Party of Freedom, more broadly, would also send a warning message to mainstream political parties across Europe.