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Agence France-Presse

The Dutch election climaxed in an unprecedented cliffhanger on Thursday, with only a few thousand votes separating the far-right party of firebrand Geert Wilders and a pro-European centrist party.
With 99.7 per cent of the vote tallied, the anti-Islam PVV Freedom Party run by Wilders was fractionally ahead of the D66 led by the energetic Rob Jetten.
Every major party has ruled out working with Wilders, meaning Jetten, 38, is on track to become the country’s youngest and first openly gay prime minister – even if he comes second.
The gap was so close that overseas postal votes might decide the election, so a final result could yet take days.
With far-right parties surging in France, Britain, and Germany, the vote was closely watched as a bellwether of populist strength in Europe.
Wilders was projected to carry 26 seats in the 150-seat parliament, which would be a loss of 11 compared to his stunning election win in 2023.
But there was a doubling of support for the extreme-right Forum for Democracy (FvD) from three to seven seats.
The hard-right JA21 also enjoyed a strong gain from one seat to potentially nine.
“The radical right as a whole hasn’t really lost, due to the gains of JA21 and FvD,” said Sarah de Lange, Professor of Dutch Politics at Leiden University.

When the final result is eventually confirmed, a long process of trying to forge a coalition will begin, with 76 parliamentary seats required for a majority.
The most likely possibility appears to be a “grand coalition” with the D66 (26 seats), the liberal VVD (22), the centre-right CDA (18), and the left-wing Green/Labour group (20).
“It will certainly take time for the Netherlands to reach stability and a new coalition,” De Lange said.
“The parties are ideologically very, very diverse, which will make compromising very challenging.”
On the streets of Amsterdam, Sanne-Louisa de Bruin said she felt “actually hopeful, and that’s nice after two years of feeling quite sceptical and not going anywhere.”
“I’m relieved with this result. I think we now have a basis for a coalition that is actually able to fix major issues in the Netherlands,” added the 37-year-old, who said she works in energy transition.
“I hope the rest of Europe follows.”
‘We’ve done it’
When the exit poll was released, D66 supporters exploded with joy at their election party in Leiden, waving Dutch and European flags.
“We’ve done it,” said a jubilant Jetten.
“This is an historic election result because we’ve shown not only to the Netherlands but also to the world that it is possible to beat populist and extreme-right movements,” Jetten told reporters.
Wilders, sometimes known as the “Dutch Trump”, had collapsed the previous government, complaining progress was too slow to achieve “the strictest asylum policy ever”.

“The voter has spoken. We had hoped for a different outcome, but we stuck to our guns,” said the anti-immigration Wilders on social media.
Dutch voters had a bewildering range of 27 parties to choose from, meaning they each had to grapple with a huge sheet of paper listing the candidates.
The main issues were immigration and a housing crisis that especially affects young people in the densely populated country.
Jetten shot up the polls in the final days of the campaign thanks to strong media performances and an optimistic message.
“I want to bring the Netherlands back to the heart of Europe because without European cooperation, we are nowhere,” he said after casting his vote in The Hague.
As a young man, Jetten represented the Netherlands as an athlete and ran as a pacemaker for multiple Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, so he should be used to a close race.
Frans Timmermans, an experienced former European Commission vice-president, threw in the towel after a disappointing result for his Green/Labour bloc.

“With pain in my heart, I step down as your party leader,” the 64-year-old told supporters.
Violence and disinformation marred the campaign.
Demonstrators against shelters for asylum seekers clashed with police in several cities, and violence erupted at an anti-immigration protest in The Hague last month.
Until a new government is formed, outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof will run the country – reluctantly. “I wouldn’t wish it on you,” he told one MP in parliament.


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The Netherlands

Dutch election a nail-biter with far-right and centrists neck-and-neck

D66 supporters react to the first exit poll result in the Dutch parliamentary elections in Leiden, the Netherlands, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Democrats 66 (D66) party leader Rob Jetten following the exit poll and early results. Photo: Reuters

 PVV Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders, casting his vote. Photo: Reuters

Frans Timmermans threw in the towel after a disappointing result for his left-wing bloc. Photo: Reuters

30 arrested as violent Dutch anti-immigration protesters clash with police

A police car is set on fire during the “Stand up for the Netherlands” demonstration in The Hague on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Protesters wave the Dutch national flag as they take part in a demonstration in The Hague on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Dutch government collapses as Wilders quits coalition over immigration

Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders pulled his party out of the ruling four-party Dutch coalition Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. Photo: AFP

VVD leader Dilan Yesilgoz described Geert Wilders’ move as ‘super irresponsible’. Photo: AP

The latest government crisis comes just weeks before the Netherlands is due to host world leaders for a Nato summit. Photo: ANP via AFP 

Netherlands veers sharply to right with new government as Geert Wilders strikes coalition deal

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders. Photo: EPA-EFE

Dutch far-right firebrand Geert Wilders says he won’t be prime minister

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders. Photo: AFP

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders addresses media in The Hague on March 1. Photo: AFP

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte is widely expected to become the new Nato secretary general. Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via AFP

Why some Dutch Muslims back Geert Wilders even as he compares the Koran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf: ‘I’ll give him a chance’

Despite his anti-Islam rhetoric, some Dutch Muslims are willing to support Geert Wilders. Photo: EPA-EFE

An election campaign poster of Geert Wilders’ PVV party is removed in th Netherlands. Wilders’ election victory is one of the biggest upsets in Dutch politics since World War II and one that is bound to send shock waves through Europe. Photo: AP

The Ulu Mosque stands in Kanaleneiland, an immigrant-dominated area of the central Dutch city of Utrecht, Netherlands. Photo: Reuters

News

World

Europe

Result too close to call in the Netherlands as overseas postal votes might decide the election


Result too close to call in the Netherlands as overseas postal votes might decide the election.


European Union

Racism and other prejudice

Europe’s refugee crisis

Dutch election a nail-biter with far-right and centrists neck-and-neck

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Result too close to call in the Netherlands as overseas postal votes might decide the election

Result too close to call in the Netherlands as overseas postal votes might decide the election