In a closely contested Dutch national election, the centrist D66 party has narrowly surpassed Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), according to a projection by the national news agency ANP. The prediction, based on nearly all counted ballots and an analysis of remaining votes—primarily from overseas Dutch nationals—suggests D66 leader Rob Jetten is poised to become the Netherlands’ next prime minister. At 38, Jetten would be the country’s youngest and first openly gay leader. He emphasized that the results reflect voters’ desire to move beyond “political nonsense.”
The two parties are currently tied at 26 seats, with the possibility of D66 gaining a slight edge to 27 as remaining votes are tallied. However, mainstream parties, including D66, have ruled out forming a coalition with the PVV, citing Wilders’ role in destabilizing the previous coalition over migration policies. Political scientist Henk van der Kolk noted that the seat count is largely irrelevant, as the focus shifts to forming a centrist coalition involving D66, the Labor Party, Green Left, the Christian Democrats, and the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.
With the Dutch political landscape highly fragmented, coalition negotiations are expected to span weeks or even months. The election underscores the challenges of governance in a polarized environment, with centrist forces seeking to counter the influence of far-right populism.