The centrist D66 party made significant gains in the Dutch elections, positioning itself to lead government formation as support for far-right leader Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party (PVV) declined.

With 90% of the votes counted by early Thursday, both D66 and the PVV were projected to secure 26 seats in the 150-member lower house of parliament. While this marks a major rise for the D66 party, it represents a notable setback for Wilders, whose party had achieved a record result in 2023.

Although initial exit polls suggested a narrow D66 lead, the final vote count gave Wilders a slightly stronger performance than expected.

However, the outcome is unlikely to change the broader political landscape, as most mainstream parties in the Netherlands have ruled out joining a coalition with Wilders, who was blamed for bringing down the last government.

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Geert Wilders acknowledges defeat

Speaking Wednesday evening, Wilders expressed disappointment at the result, acknowledging that his party had lost seats and was unlikely to take part in the next governing coalition.

"Of course, we would have liked to win more seats and I regret the loss, but it's not as if we were wiped off the map," Wilders stated.

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Despite the decline, the PVV remains a vocal force in opposition, with Wilders reaffirming his commitment to continue challenging the mainstream from outside government.

Rob Jetten poised to lead coalition talks

The results open a path for D66 leader Rob Jetten, 38, to become the youngest prime minister in the history of the Netherlands. The party celebrated the outcome with cheers and chants of “Yes, we can”, as supporters waved Dutch flags and hailed the defeat of far-right politics.

"We've shown not only to the Netherlands, but also to the world that it is possible to beat populist and extreme right movements," Jetten told the crowd. "Millions of Dutch people today turned a page and said farewell to the politics of negativity, of hate, of endless 'no we can't.'"

Jetten’s campaign focused on addressing the housing shortage, investing in education, and managing immigration concerns, all of which contributed to his surge in popularity.

To form a government, a minimum of 76 seats is required, meaning at least four parties will need to join forces. One possible coalition includes D66, the Christian Democrats, the centre-right VVD, and the Greens-Labour alliance.

However, Dutch coalition talks are historically complex and lengthy, and negotiations are expected to take months before a stable government can be confirmed.

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Far-right politics faces setback across Europe

Wilders, a prominent figure in Europe’s far-right scene, had previously called for banning all asylum applications, deporting male Ukrainian refugees, and cutting development aid to fund energy and healthcare, proposals that violated EU commitments.

His party won the largest number of seats in 2023 and formed an all-conservative coalition, although coalition partners refused to back him as prime minister. That coalition collapsed in June after disagreements over his hardline policies.

This election outcome is seen as a broader test of far-right momentum in Europe. The drop in support for Wilders may indicate a limit to the appeal of such politics, particularly among younger voters and urban constituencies.