The anti-Islam, euroskeptic radical Geert Wilders is projected to be the shock winner of the Dutch election.

In a dramatic result that will stun European politics, his Freedom Party (PVV) is set to win around 35 of the 150 seats in parliament — more than double the number it secured in the 2021 election, according to exit polls.

Frans Timmermans’ Labour-Green alliance is forecast to take second place, winning 25 seats — a big jump from its current 17. Dilan Yeşilgöz, outgoing premier Mark Rutte’s successor as head of the center-right VVD, suffered heavy losses and is on course to take 24 seats, 10 fewer than before, according to the updated exit poll by Ipsos for national broadcaster NOS.

A win for Wilders will put the Netherlands on track — potentially — for a dramatic shift in direction, after Rutte’s four consecutive centrist governments. The question now, though, is whether any other parties are willing to join Wilders to form a coalition. Despite emerging as the largest party, he will lack an overall majority in parliament.

    • @[email protected]
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      27 months ago

      I didn’t think you’d make the argument of “if you’re going to be a far right politician then at least be left”

      • @Not_Alec_Baldwin
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        17 months ago

        It’s a circle, not a line. Far left and far right end up meeting in the middle.

        • @[email protected]
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          17 months ago

          I guess if you consider “we got rid of our differences” and “we got rid of the different people” to be the same it is

          But if you’re talking about right wing governments pretending to be left for PR then I would discount them as just being right wing