Far-right loses support in Dutch election

The Netherlands’ next government looks likely to exclude the far right and could be led by an openly gay prime minister after an election in which Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam Freedom Party lost ground and support surged for the centrist D66.

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The largest party in the Dutch election needs to get the lead in the formation of a new government, the leader of the centrist D66 party Rob Jetten said yesterday.

In my opinion, the largest party should get the initiative,” Mr Jetten said on the morning after the election, adding that results showed it would be hard for Mr Wilders to reach a majority.

With almost all (98%) votes counted, Mr Jetten’s D6 is virtually tied for the lead with the far right Freedom Party (PVV) led by anti-Islam populist Wilders.

That was a sharp drop for the far right, even if it was tied for first spot, as it lost over a quarter of its seats in two years, while D66 tripled its score.

The Dutch election was seen as a test of whether the far right can expand its reach or whether it has peaked in parts of Europe.

The outcome suggests there are some limits to its appeal, but also that it is an enduring part of the European political landscape at a time when many other parties have toughened their stance on immigration.

All major mainstream parties have ruled out governing with Mr Wilders this time after he brought down the last coalition, which was led by his own party. This leaves him no viable path to a majority, unlike D66’s young leader Jetten.