The centrist social-liberal Democrats 66 (D66) has scored a major breakthrough in the Netherlands’ recent general election, positioning itself to lead the next government, while the far‐right Party for Freedom (PVV) under Geert Wilders lost ground after its 2023 high-water mark.
With nearly all votes counted, both parties are projected to hold 26 seats apiece in the 150-seat House of Representatives, but D66 narrowly leads by around 2,300 votes, according to compiled totals. D66’s gains reflect a significant rebound from previous elections, while the PVV’s fall is stark in comparison to its earlier showing.
Even with the tie, the practical advantage lies with D66. Several mainstream parties have publicly ruled out forming a coalition with the PVV, effectively shutting the far-right party out of government unless unexpected alliances arise. The result opens the door for D66’s leader, Rob Jetten, aged 38, who could become the Netherlands’ youngest prime minister — and the first openly gay person in the role.
But the road ahead is far from smooth. The Dutch political system — built on proportional representation and coalition governance — typically requires at least four parties to reach the 76-seat majority. Negotiations are expected to drag on for months as D66 explores deals with the conservative Christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the liberal‐conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the centre-left GreenLeft/Labour alliance.
For Wilders and the PVV, the outcome is a sobering moment. He acknowledged his party’s losses and indicated it will now act from opposition. While the far-right remains influential, the election suggests it may have reached a ceiling of support — for now.
In short, the Netherlands appears to have shifted away from the populist surge of recent years and toward a centrist‐progressive reset. Whether that momentum translates into stable government and meaningful policy change remains to be seen.
