Overview
- Ipsos/I&O’s 21:00 exit poll projects D66 at 27 seats, PVV at 25 and VVD at 23, with GroenLinks-PvdA on 20, CDA surging to 19, and NSC appearing to lose all representation; the poll carries a 1–2 seat margin of error.
- GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans announced he will step down after the disappointing projection, prompting stunned reactions at the party gathering.
- Official counting is ongoing, and early municipal results already diverge from the national picture, with Amsterdam’s preliminary tally putting GroenLinks-PvdA ahead locally as ANP’s rolling forecast still shows D66 on 27 and PVV on 25.
- Turnout varied widely through the day, from Rotterdam’s 41.7% at 17:00 to Amsterdam’s 54.9% at 18:00, while Nijmegen reported a provisional 80.3% overall participation.
- Geert Wilders said he had hoped for a different outcome but called the PVV “still the second and maybe the largest,” as foreign outlets highlighted the tight race and the likelihood of difficult coalition-building.