In a dramatic turn for Dutch politics, projections early Thursday morning indicated a dead heat between a prominent center-left party and the far-right faction led by Geert Wilders. According to official counts released by the Dutch newswire ANP, both parties are set to secure the same number of legislative seats, a result widely seen as a significant setback for Mr. Wilders, who had forced the election.
Initially, exit polls on Wednesday night suggested that the center-left Democrats 66 (D66), known for its socially progressive stance and centrist economic policies, would emerge as the largest party. However, as nearly all votes were tallied by Thursday morning, the lead fluctuated between D66 and Mr. Wilders’s Party for Freedom by merely a thousand votes nationwide.
This razor-thin margin nonetheless represents a considerable victory for mainstream politics and a substantial defeat for Mr. Wilders. His party, which achieved a dominant result just two years prior, saw a loss of 11 seats in this election.
An accompanying image shows Geert Wilders during a debate in The Hague on Tuesday, reflecting the intense political climate leading up to the vote. (Credit: Remko de Waal/ANP, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
The Democrats 66, under the leadership of Rob Jetten, celebrated a significant gain of 17 seats, marking their best performance since the party’s inception in 1966. Both D66 and the Party for Freedom are poised to each win 26 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives.
Typically, the largest party is given the first opportunity to form a government. Given the extremely close results, determining which party holds this advantage could prove challenging. Regardless, the prospects of Mr. Wilders’s party rejoining government appear slim, as leaders from other major parties, including Mr. Jetten, had publicly ruled out a coalition with him even before the election.
On Wednesday night, Mr. Wilders took to social media, acknowledging, “we had hoped for a different result, but kept our backs straight.” He defiantly added, “we are more combative than ever and still the second and maybe even the biggest party of the Netherlands.”
His combative stance continued into Thursday morning, where he reiterated on social media that if his party ultimately secured the most seats, they should be the first to attempt to form a government.
Conversely, Rob Jetten, who led a campaign characterized by unwavering optimism and strong performances in televised debates, declared on Wednesday night that “millions of Dutch people turned a page today,” signaling a hopeful future for the political center.