The leader of the far-right in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, admitted that he expected a different result in today’s early legislative elections, which, according to exit polls, 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 which 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).
Former vice-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans announced today his resignation from the leadership of the Green Left 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 the composition of Parliament quite accurately, but the distribution of seats can change as votes are counted.
If this result is confirmed, the leader of D66, Rob Jetten, 38 years old and defender of Europe, could become prime minister.
Rob 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.
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, the PVV could lose 12 seats compared to its resounding electoral victory in 2023.
Regardless of the final outcome, Wilders is unlikely to become prime minister, as the other main parties have 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.
Around 13.4 million Dutch citizens went to the polls today 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 9pm (8pm in mainland Portugal).
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 needed 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.
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