Geert Wilders, leader of the far right in the Netherlands, expected “a different result”.
PVV lost gas and D66 should win. However, a coalition is needed and the process should take months. Dand either way, Wilders is unlikely to become prime minister.
The leader of the far-right in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, admitted that he expected a different result in this Tuesday’s early legislative elections, which According to exit polls, they were won by the progressive liberal party D66.
“The voters have spoken. We expected a different result, but we remained faithful to ourselves”, highlighted on the social network X the leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), favorite during much of the campaign, but lost strength in the final stretch.
D66 is expected to win 27 of the 150 seats in Parliament, ahead of Wilders’ far-right party, PVV, which is expected to secure 25, according to an Ipsos poll cited by the agency France-Presse (AFP).
The former vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, announced his resignation of the leadership of the Left Green Alliance (GL-PvdA), following results below expectations. “Tonight, I resign as party leader. It is with a heavy heart,” Timmermans said in a speech. His alliance is expected to win 20 seats in Parliament, compared to 25 in the previous legislature, according to exit polls.
In the Netherlands, exit polls generally reflect quite accurate the composition of Parliament, but the distribution of seats may change as votes are counted.
Europe champion Jetten in the pipeline for PM
If this result is confirmed, the leader of D66, Rob Jetten38 years old and defender of Europe, could become prime minister. Jetten has risen in the polls in recent days thanks to an optimistic message and a strong presence in the media.
“I want to bring the Netherlands back to the heart of Europe because, without European cooperation, we will get nowhere”, he stressed to AFP after voting in The Hague.
And now?
The Dutch elections were closely followed across Europe as they were expected to provide an assessment of the extent of the far-right’s rise across the continent, particularly in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
According to exit polls, PVV could lose 12 seats compared to his resounding electoral victory in 2023.
Regardless of the end result, Wilders is unlikely to become prime ministeras the other main parties ruled out any future collaboration with the PVV leader, considering him unreliable or his views unacceptable.
Once the final result is known, a long period of negotiations will begin between the parties to form a coalition, a process that could take months.
Nearly 13.4 million Dutch citizens went to the polls to elect the composition of the national Parliament, from which the future government coalition will emerge, in the third election held in the country in less than five years. The polls closed at 9:00 pm (8:00 pm in Lisbon).
The Parliament of the Netherlands has 150 seats, currently divided between 15 parties, a number that polls predict will remain after today’s vote, in which 27 parties participated.
According to polls, a coalition of at least four or five parties will be required to reach the 76 seats needed for an absolute majority.
By mid-afternoon, 38% of the 13.4 million Dutch voters eligible to vote had already gone to the polls, two percentage points less than at the same time in the 2023 elections. The day passed without incident.
Final turnout in the 2023 elections was 77.7%, one of the highest levels in the last decade.
