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D66 Edges PVV in Dutch Snap Vote, Setting Jetten Up to Lead Coalition Talks

With seats level at 26 apiece, Rob Jetten is set to begin coalition bargaining under a de facto cordon sanitaire against PVV.

Overview

  • With roughly 98% of ballots counted, D66 and Geert Wilders’ PVV are tied on 26 seats, with D66 ahead by about 2,000 votes in the popular tally.
  • Earlier Ipsos exit polls projected D66 on 27 seats to PVV’s 25, but final allocations remain pending until the official count is certified.
  • PVV drops about eleven seats from its 2023 high of 37, and Wilders acknowledges a setback as mainstream parties maintain their pledge not to govern with him.
  • Frans Timmermans’ GroenLinks–PvdA slips to fourth with about 20 seats, and Timmermans resigns as leader after the underperformance.
  • Forming a majority will require 76 of 150 seats, pointing to lengthy talks in a fragmented chamber, with potential partners for D66 including VVD and CDA alongside GroenLinks–PvdA.