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Netherlands Heads to Snap Vote as Wilders Leads but Faces Isolation

With coalition partners refusing to work with Geert Wilders, the largest party may still struggle to form a government.

Dilan Yesilgöz, leader of the right-wing People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, reacts after the debate at the SBS6 TV studio in Hilversum, Netherlands, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Rob Jetten,leader of the Democrats 66, D66, joins thousands of people who demonstrated calling for tougher action against climate change just days before the Oct. 29 general election in the Netherlands, in The Hague, Netherlands, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
An election billboard for anti-islam lawmaker Geert Wilders' PVV party reading "This Is Your Land" is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, ahead of the Oct. 29 general elections. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Far-right anti islam lawmaker Geert Wilders of the PVV party poses for a photo prior to a debate at the SBS6 TV studio in Hilversum, Netherlands, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Overview

  • Dutch voters go to the polls on Wednesday after WildersPVV quit the coalition in June over migration, triggering the snap election.
  • Surveys put the PVV narrowly in front, while GreenLeft–Labour, the Christian Democrats and D66 gain ground and the once-dominant VVD slips.
  • Immigration and a severe housing shortage have defined the campaign as climate and defense issues recede from center stage.
  • Most parties have ruled out a PVV-led cabinet, pointing to lengthy coalition talks and even a scenario in which the second-placed party leads.
  • Pre-election tensions have included violent anti-immigration protests and Wilders’ apology over AI-generated images targeting Frans Timmermans.