Centrist liberal leader Rob Jetten has declared victory in the Netherlands’ fiercely contested general election after preliminary results showed his D66 party narrowly ahead of far-right rival Geert Wilders.
According to projections by Dutch news agency ANP, Jetten’s party leads by about 15,000 votes, securing a potential 27 seats in the 150-member parliament—one more than Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV). ANP said even though the final count isn’t complete, Wilders can no longer overtake Jetten.
“We are the biggest party in the Netherlands! Now we’ll get to work for all Dutch people,” Jetten posted on X after claiming victory late Thursday.
Wilders, however, pushed back on the early call, arguing that the electoral council, not a news agency, determines the official result. “What arrogance not to wait for that,” he said.
If confirmed, the 38-year-old Jetten would become the youngest prime minister in modern Dutch history, a stunning turnaround for a party that placed fifth with only nine seats, less than two years ago.
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Speaking to reporters, Jetten said he was “very proud of this historic result” and pledged to form a “stable and ambitious government.” He added that his campaign showed “it is possible to beat populist movements with a positive message.”
The final tally gives D66 about 16.9% of the vote, just ahead of Wilders’ 16.7%. Both parties are projected to win 26 seats, but D66 is favored for an additional one once all overseas postal ballots are counted, ANP said.
Wilders entered Wednesday’s vote as the frontrunner after leading national polls for weeks. But Jetten’s upbeat campaign, marked by a “Yes, we can” slogan and strong showings in major cities like Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, appears to have swayed urban and younger voters.
Despite losing ground, Wilders vowed to keep challenging Jetten’s policies, warning that his PVV would “not let the Netherlands be broken up by Jetten and his people.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof, appointed last year after Wilders failed to form a government, predicted that coalition talks could drag on for months. “I reckon I’ll still be prime minister at Christmas,” Schoof told reporters Friday.
For now, Jetten’s focus will be on building a coalition capable of tackling key issues that dominated the campaign, including housing shortages, migration, and climate policy.