A twist in the thread seems to be taking place in her political life, as according to the first reports, the centrist, liberal party Democrats 66 (D66) is expected to secure 27 seats, dethroning their far-right Freedom Party (PVV), which, according to the same exit polls, is following with 25 seats (twelve less than in the previous elections). Third seems to come the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) with 23 seats, followed by the Greens (GroenLinks-PvdA) with 20 seats and the Christian Democratic Party (CDA) with 19.
In total, according to the exit polls, a total of 15 different parties will enter the 150-seat Parliament, with what this implies for the chances of forming a coalition government, which traditionally rule the country.
This question is extremely critical, and analysts have already begun to consider what are the possible scenarios for the formation of a coalition government under the leadership of the apparent winner of the election D66 (which appears to have managed to get 18 more seats than in the previous election), including a scenario in which there will be cooperation with the GL/PvdA, the VVD and the CDA. If the predictions are confirmed, this coalition is likely to win a total of 89 of the 150 seats in the new parliament.
Another alternative is a coalition with the VVD, the CDA and the Conservative Liberals (JA21), which the exit poll shows with nine seats, reaching just above the 78-seat threshold.
How we got here and what the looming Wilders defeat will mean
The snap parliamentary election was triggered by the collapse of the government in June, after the far-right leader withdrew the Freedom Party (PVV) from a deeply divided and highly ineffective governing coalition.
The victory of the PVV in the last elections in late 2023 was an important piece of the puzzle of the rise of the far-right across Europe, but the ineffectiveness of the governing coalition and the erased defeat in today’s early elections are seen by many analysts as key indicators of the limits of far-right political forces, both in the Netherlands and in Europe as a whole.
Wild ride to the top for Rob Yetten and the D66
In contrast to Wilders’ “tried” but ineffective party, this election, which many Dutch characterized as a referendum against the far-right but also in favor of the center, Rob Yetten’s D66, saw his ratings soar in a matter of weeks. Led by the 38-year-old former climate minister, D66 saw its ratings swell as it shifted away from its single-issue pro-European, climate-focused agenda, and presented itself as a moderate alternative, yet comprehensive solution to both Wilders’ far-right and traditional conservatives.
