The centrist D66 party made major gains in the Dutch parliamentary election, positioning it to lead government formation as support for far-right figure Geert Wilders fell.
With around 90% of ballots counted early Thursday, projections showed both D66 and Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) winning 26 seats each in the 150-seat lower house. The result represented a sharp reversal for Wilders from his record performance in 2023 and a striking advance for D66, which nearly tripled its seat total.
Exit polls and early returns initially suggested a narrow D66 victory, though later counting narrowed the gap in Wilders’ favor. Still, the change is unlikely to alter the broader coalition arithmetic: most mainstream parties have ruled out joining a government with the PVV after Wilders pulled his party from the previous coalition.
That opens a path for D66 leader Rob Jetten, 38, to try to assemble a coalition and potentially become the Netherlands’ youngest prime minister. Speaking to supporters in Leiden, Jetten hailed D66’s best-ever result and framed it as a rejection of divisive politics, pledging to demonstrate that government can serve all Dutch citizens.
The snap election was triggered when Wilders withdrew the PVV from the ruling coalition in June after other partners refused to back his sweeping anti-refugee proposals. Wilders acknowledged his party’s likely exclusion from the next cabinet but defended his decision, saying his supporters had been heard and that he had stood by his principles.
The Dutch proportional system awards one seat for roughly 0.67% of the vote. Fifteen of the 27 parties contesting the election cleared that threshold, reflecting persistent fragmentation that makes single-party majorities impossible and ensures coalition governments remain the norm.
Centre-left GreenLeft/Labour (GL/PvdA) had a disappointing night, finishing third with 20 seats—five fewer than before and below expectations—which prompted their leader Frans Timmermans to announce he would step down and hand over leadership to a new generation. By contrast, the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDA) surged to 19 seats, nearly quadrupling their previous representation.
The liberal-conservative VVD was the only outgoing coalition member to improve its standing, finishing on 23 seats. That number could make the VVD a key player in coalition talks, but the party’s leader has said she prefers a right-leaning government and has resisted partnering with the centre-left GL/PvdA, complicating some broad coalition permutations.
More right-leaning options might include the radical right JA21, which increased its presence to nine seats. Several other parties lost ground; one former coalition member, New Social Contract, failed to win a seat.
Analysts note that election outcomes are only the start of government formation in the Netherlands. An informateur will first test possible majorities and identify feasible coalitions; prospective partners will then negotiate a program and a cabinet that must win a confidence vote in parliament. These talks can take months.
Campaign issues included migration, healthcare costs and a severe housing shortage. Voters consistently identified housing as the nation’s top problem, with an estimated deficit of about 400,000 homes in a country of some 18 million. Observers warn that unless incoming governments address housing and spiraling healthcare costs effectively, any apparent return to more moderate governance could be short-lived.
For now, the vote reshuffles the political deck: D66’s surge gives its leader the initiative in coalition-building, while the PVV’s decline and the fragmentation across the political spectrum mean lengthy negotiations are likely before a stable government is formed.