The right-wing party of Geert Wilders was running neck-and-neck with a Europhile centrist party in a nailbiting election, according to an estimate on Thursday, October 30th.
The D66 party of Rob Jetten and the PVV Freedom Party of Wilders were both on 26 seats out of the 150 in parliament with nearly 95% of votes counted.
If the estimate is confirmed, the PVV will have lost 11 seats compared to its stunning 2023 election win.
Whatever the final result, Wilders was virtually certain not to be prime minister, as all other parties had ruled out joining a coalition with him.
Analysts said that whoever came in second was likely to form the next government—putting Jetten on course to lead the European Union’s fifth-largest economy.
The estimates predicted the centre-right liberal VVD party to win 22 seats, and the left-wing Green/Labour bloc to gain 20.
Frans Timmermans, a former European Commission vice-president, threw in the towel after a disappointing result for his left-wing bloc.
“With pain in my heart, I step down as your party leader,” the 64-year-old told supporters.
