The centrist Dutch D66 party won the most votes in Wednesday’s general election, news agency ANP reported on Friday, putting its leader, Rob Jetten, 38, on track to become the youngest prime minister in Dutch history.
With almost all votes counted, D66 can no longer be overtaken by the far-right Freedom Party (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, according to the news agency, which brings together results from all municipalities in the Netherlands.
D66 is now expected to take the lead in the first round of talks to form a coalition government, a process that normally takes months.
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With around 18% of the vote, the party will need at least three partners to achieve a simple majority in the 150-seat Lower House of Parliament.
This Friday, Jetten urged the main parties, from left to right, to unite.
“Voters clearly indicated the need for cooperation,” Jetten told reporters. “We want to find a majority that is willing to work on issues such as the housing market, migration, climate and the economy.”
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The liberal pro-EU D66 party tripled its number of seats with an upbeat campaign and an increase in advertising spending, while Wilders lost much of the support that propelled him to a shock victory in the previous election in 2023.
Still, the election became tense, as preliminary results indicated a narrow victory for D66, while the PVV briefly came ahead at the end of the count.
Although all the main parties had already ruled out working with him, Wilders said he would demand the first opportunity to form a coalition if his party was confirmed as the top vote-getter.
Confirmation of the result will come on Monday, when votes sent by post by Dutch residents living abroad are counted.
Party leaders will discuss next steps on Tuesday.
