The progressive liberal party D66 has won the general elections in the Netherlands, according to the exit polls released this Wednesday, which point to a victory with 27 seats compared to the 25 of the Party for Freedom (PVV) of the far-right Geert Wilders.
The result opens the door to the formation of a new Government headed by Rob Jetten, 38, who would become the youngest prime minister in the country’s history. “Millions of Dutch people today have turned the page and said goodbye to the politics of hate,” he proclaimed to his followers amid chants of “Yes, we can.”
The collapse of the PVV, which in 2023 had won the elections for the first time, calls into question the continuity of Wilders, who has acknowledged his disappointment and admitted that his party “probably will not be part of the next Government.”
The Green-Labor Left (GroenLinks–PvdA), led by former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, has fallen from 25 to 20 seats, leading to his resignation as leader of the progressive bloc.
With 76 seats needed for a majority, D66 will need a broad coalition to govern. Analysts point to a possible pact with the Christian Democrats (CDA), the Conservative Liberals (VVD) and the Green-Labour alliance itself. The negotiations could drag on for months, in a country accustomed to balances of power and long rounds of consensus.
