Geert Wilders’ right-wing PVV party has lost at least 10 seats since its impressive 2023 win in national elections this week, making it likely that the next Dutch government will be a liberal one.
Close-to-final results on Thursday morning put PVV neck-and-neck with the D66 party of Rob Jetten, but it was already all but confirmed that Wilders would not be prime minister since the other parties have ruled out forming a coalition with him.
With 99.7% of the votes counted, ANP projected that the centre-right liberal VVD party would pick up 22 seats, making it likely that it will form the next government with PVV.
Netherlands, ANP projection based on 99.7% counted:
Wilders said on Wednesday evening that “we had hoped for a different outcome but we kept our backs straight.”
We are more determined to fight than ever and still the second and perhaps even largest party of the Netherlands.
He also stressed that the knock-back does not mean he will be stepping down from his position, and that “I will continue until I am 80.”
Even the establishment Politico publication suggested on Thursday morning, albeit in anti-rightist terms, that “Wilders might find a period in opposition—free from the constraints and compromises required in government—the perfect place to resume his inflammatory campaigns.” Better put, Wilders could still bounce back yet.
Joint GreenLeft-Labor ticket leader (and former European Commission vice-president) Frans Timmermans has, however, announced his resignation following a dismal result. Belgian politician Maurits Vande Reyde said this “punishment” of Timmermans, perhaps best known for his ‘green’ zealotry, “once again shows what people think about the runaway European climate policy of ever more taxes, rules and driving entrepreneurs away.”
The man leaves behind a disastrous trail of prosperity destruction across all of Europe.
Full election results should be known by the end of the weekend.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
