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D66, PVV Deadlocked as Final Ballots and Recounts Delay Formation Start

With tens of thousands of overseas and brief ballots still to be tallied, the start of coalition talks has been pushed to Tuesday to clarify who names the first scout.

Overview

  • D66 and the PVV each stand on a provisional 26 seats, with D66 holding a lead of roughly 15,000 votes as nearly all domestic ballots are counted.
  • Overseas and postal votes processed in The Hague—estimated in the tens of thousands—are expected Monday evening, with official figures set Tuesday and potentially decisive for who is the largest party.
  • The PVV asked to delay the opening of the formation’s exploration phase and D66 backed the request; Speaker Martin Bosma will convene faction leaders Tuesday to discuss the results and designate a verkenner.
  • Counting issues are being resolved: Venray resumed tallying after a town hall fire and is conducting a partial recount Friday, while Albrandswaard is rechecking an exact tie between the VVD and PVV locally.
  • Leaders caution that coalition-building will be complex, with outgoing premier Dick Schoof calling the task “complicated” and D66 leader Rob Jetten urging party chiefs to show responsibility as talks near.