(The Hague) The Dutch general election unfolded in an unprecedented suspenseful drama, with the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Georg Wilders, narrowly overtaking the previously leading centrist Democratic Party of Six Six (D66) at the last minute. However, with no party willing to form a coalition with PVV, 38-year-old D66's Michel Queyten is poised to become the youngest prime minister in Dutch history.
Based on 99.7% of the votes counted, PVV leads the pro-EU centrist D66 by a narrow margin of several thousand votes. In the 150-seat House of Representatives, PVV and D66 are expected to each win 26 seats.
The anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim PVV won a record-breaking 37 seats in the 2023 general election, but its support has plummeted this year. As of early Thursday morning (October 30th), with 98% of the votes counted, PVV was trailing D66 by approximately 2,300 votes.
With far-right parties leading in polls across several European countries, the Dutch election is seen as a bellwether for the strength of the far-right in Europe. Although the Party for Freedom performed poorly, the other two far-right parties are expected to see their seats more than double. Experts believe this shows that the overall far-right camp in the Netherlands has not truly lost.
Overseas mail-in ballots may determine the final winner of this election, and the final vote count may take several days, followed by a lengthy government formation process. Each party needs at least 76 seats to form a majority government.
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The 66 party will have the most say in forming a coalition government, and Jeten is expected to become the youngest and first openly gay prime minister in Dutch history. At the victory celebration, he said, "This election result is historic. We have proven not only to the Netherlands, but also to the world, that it is possible to defeat populism and far-right movements."
