The centrist D66 party, led by Rob Jetten, has claimed victory in the Dutch general election held on Wednesday, emerging as the largest party after a nail biting race with the far right Freedom Party (PVV) of Geert Wilders. The results, compiled by the national news agency ANP and citing projections from almost all counted votes, put D66 in a position to lead the formation of the next government. Jetten, 38, is now on course to become the Netherlands' youngest prime minister, a historic win that saw his party make sweeping gains.

The final count revealed a razor thin margin between D66 and the PVV, with both parties projected to win 26 seats in the 150 member lower house of parliament. However, D66 held a slight lead in the popular vote, estimated at just over 15,000 votes, which secures its position as the largest party and grants it the first opportunity to initiate coalition talks. The outcome marks a significant turnaround, as the PVV had been projected to win the election earlier in the campaign. The election itself was triggered after Wilders withdrew his party from the previous right wing coalition, leading to the government's collapse over a dispute on immigration policy.

Rob Jetten's victory is seen by many as a rebuke to the far right, whose support significantly dropped from its record showing in the 2023 election. Jetten, a pro European and openly gay political leader, ran a campaign on a positive, hopeful message focusing on issues like affordable housing, climate policy, and competent leadership. Addressing jubilant supporters, Jetten declared that they had "shown not only to the Netherlands, but also to the world that it is possible to beat populist and extreme right movements." He pledged to get to work for all Dutch people, highlighting the need for cooperation among mainstream parties to tackle pressing national issues.

Despite D66's win, forming a stable government is expected to be a complex and lengthy process due to the highly fragmented nature of the Dutch political landscape. By parliamentary convention, the leader of the winning party takes the lead in forming a coalition, which requires a majority of at least 76 seats. Potential coalition scenarios point to a broad alliance involving D66, the centre right Christian Democratic Appeal, the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), and the centre left GreenLeft Labour bloc. However, one key complication is the VVD's stated reluctance to govern with the centre left, despite the necessity for a broad coalition to secure a workable majority. The initial step will be the appointment of a "scout" to explore viable government alliances, with talks expected to last for months.