Historic tie between the right and centre-right in the Netherlands – Rob Jetten poised to become the youngest prime minister

The acold close looks apt to beryllium excluded from the adjacent authorities of the Netherlands, which whitethorn soon beryllium led by an openly cheery premier minister. The elections saw Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) suffer ground, portion enactment for the centrist Democrats 66 (D66), led by Rob Jetten, surged.

With 98% of the ballot counted from Wednesday’s election, D66 and the PVV were locked successful a necktie aboriginal Thursday morning, each projected to triumph 26 seats successful the 150-member little location of parliament.

All smaller parties person ruled retired forming a conjugation with Wilders, who brought down the erstwhile government. As a result, helium appears to person nary viable way to a majority.

Cheers and chants of “Yes, we can” erupted during D66’s predetermination nighttime solemnisation arsenic supporters waved Dutch flags. “We person shown not lone to the Netherlands but to the satellite that it is imaginable to decision populist and far-right movements,” Rob Jetten, the D66 leader, told the crowd.

“Millions of Dutch radical turned a leafage contiguous and said goodbye to the authorities of negativity, of hate, of the endless ‘No, we can’t.’”

For Geert Wilders, the effect marked a steep diminution from the 37 seats his anti-immigration PVV won successful the 2023 election.

The Dutch predetermination was seen arsenic a trial of whether the acold right’s momentum successful Europe would proceed oregon statesman to fade. The effect whitethorn suggest its entreaty has reached its limits, Reuters noted.

Difficult conjugation talks ahead

Parties volition present statesman negotiations to signifier a caller conjugation government. With less than 3,000 votes separating the 2 starring parties, it whitethorn instrumentality respective days earlier an authoritative victor is confirmed — perchance delaying the talks.

Traditionally, the enactment with the astir votes is invited archetypal to effort to signifier a coalition.

Exit polls initially showed a constrictive pb for the progressive D66, but arsenic the number continued, the PVV somewhat closed the gap. Despite this, the result appears to pave the mode for 38-year-old Rob Jetten to signifier a authorities — perchance becoming the youngest premier curate successful Dutch history.

Wilders: “It’s not implicit yet.”

Wilders said helium would inactive effort to signifier a authorities if the PVV yet came first.

“As agelong arsenic it’s not 100% clear, D66 cannot lead. We volition bash everything we tin to forestall that,” helium wrote connected X (formerly Twitter).

Vote counting continues successful parts of Amsterdam, which thin toward D66, arsenic good arsenic successful the Limburg region, wherever the PVV traditionally performs strongly.