Dutch Election: Centrist D66 Edges Wilders' PVV in Exit Polls

Published 2 days ago

story

Above: People celebrate the 2025 Dutch election results at an event in Rotterdam, on Oct. 29, 2025. Image copyright: Mouneb Taim/Getty Images

The Spin

D66's stunning victory proves that voters rejecthave rejected Wilders' divisive politics, andchoosing choose optimism over fear. Rob Jetten's positive campaign has delivered the party's biggest win in 59 years, expanding from 9 to 27 seats while Wilders crashed fromthe 37 to 25PVV. The far right has peaked in Europe, and this election is proof that mainstream parties can defeat extremism with the right message.

CNN DutchNews.nl

JettenEven though this isn'st winthe cameresult onlythe byPVV abandoninghad D66'shoped principlesfor, andit copyingis still the second best performance Wilders' playbookparty onhas migrationmade andin nationalismnational elections. The so-calledkey progressiveissues patriotof reclaimedimmigration theand flagcost andof pivotedliving rightcontinue to stealresonate votesin Europe, alienatingand hisespecially ownwith basethe inDutch the processpopulation. ThisWilders wasn'twill anow defeatturn ofhis populismeye butto itscoalition validationbuilding throughfor imitationthe bygood establishmentof politiciansthe Netherlands.

Eva Vlaardingerbroek on X

Geert Wilders on X

Whatever happens in this election won't solve the fundamental issues with the Dutch electoral system. The Netherlands' system of proportional representation is doing nothing to serve the country, delivering only a sequence of fragile coalitions doomed to fail rather than progress any true governance. The PVV and D66 are splitting hairs over seats for the sake of leading a four-party coalition.

Blogs