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Netherlands Votes in Snap Election as Wilders Leads Polls but Faces Isolation

Most major parties have ruled out partnering with the PVV, pointing to months of coalition bargaining.

Far-right anti islam lawmaker Geert Wilders campaigns in Volendam, Netherlands, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
People enjoy the autumn weather next to some of the election billboards of 26 of the 27 political parties participating in the Oct. 29 general elections in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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)

Overview

  • Polling stations opened at 7:30 a.m. local time and close at 9 p.m., with an exit poll due at the close and an update 30 minutes later.
  • Surveys show the PVV narrowly ahead with a large share of voters still undecided and three rivals closing in, including the GL/PvdA bloc led by Frans Timmermans, the CDA under Henri Bontenbal, and D66’s Rob Jetten.
  • Migration, an acute shortage of affordable housing, and rising health-care costs shaped voter concerns throughout the campaign.
  • The race has been shadowed by street violence near asylum centers and an AI disinformation episode targeting Timmermans, for which Geert Wilders apologized.
  • Even if the PVV finishes first, refusals from potential partners and the fragmented system make a governing majority uncertain and could extend coalition talks for weeks or months.