Dutch election ends in historic tie between conservative PVV and centrist D66
The Netherlands is facing an unprecedented outcome after Wednesday’s general election resulted in a tie between the conservative Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, and the centrist Democrats 66 (D66). Each party secured 26 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives, according to preliminary results published by the Dutch news agency ANP, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
With nearly all ballots counted, only a few thousand votes separate the two parties, while results from several overseas municipalities and postal ballots are still pending. It is the first time in Dutch history that two parties have finished in a tie for first place, creating uncertainty about the next steps in forming a coalition government.
Geert Wilders said his party should take the lead in coalition talks if the final results confirm PVV’s position at the top. D66 representatives described the vote as exceptionally close, calling for patience as the counting process concludes.
The election marks a significant success for D66 under its leader, Rob Jetten, whose party gained 11 seats compared to the previous vote. Addressing supporters, Jetten said the results showed that many citizens had chosen “constructive and forward-looking politics” and called for cooperation among political forces to build a stable government.
PVV, known for its conservative position on migration and national identity, lost 11 seats compared to the previous parliament. The early election was called in June after the governing coalition collapsed following policy disagreements.
Another right-leaning party, JA21, also improved its performance, increasing its representation from one to nine seats.
Meanwhile, the center-left alliance of the Labor Party and Green Left, led by former European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, lost several seats. Following the result, Timmermans announced his decision to step down from national politics.
The vote took place amid a period of political fragmentation and debate over migration and social policy. Coalition negotiations are expected to take several weeks as parties explore possible alliances to form a new government.
As previously reported, earlier this week the Netherlands went to the polls to elect a new parliament.
