The D66 party has won the elections in the Netherlands

The social-liberal party Democrats 66 won the Dutch parliamentary elections on Wednesday, according to the ANP news agency, after almost all votes had been counted. The new Dutch prime minister is therefore expected to be the party's leader, Rob Jetten.

The party came ahead of the right-wing Party for Freedom led by Geert Wilders, who was considered one of the favorites in the elections.

The ANP agency, which collects data from all municipalities, confirmed that Democrats 66 already has a secure victory and that Wilders can no longer catch up.

With about 18 percent of the vote, Democrats 66 will need at least three coalition partners to achieve a simple majority in the 150-member lower house of parliament.

On Friday, Jetten called on parties from across the political spectrum to unite. “Voters have made it clear that cooperation is necessary,” he told journalists. “We want to find a majority that is willing to work on issues such as housing, migration, climate, and the economy,” he added.

Outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof predicted on Friday that Jetten's task would prove complicated, according to the BBC. “I think I will still be prime minister at Christmas,” he said.

The pro-European liberal party Democrats 66 tripled its number of seats thanks to an optimistic campaign and a sharp increase in advertising spending, while Wilders lost much of the support that had helped him win the previous elections in 2023.

However, the elections were exciting, as preliminary results indicated a narrow victory for Democrats 66, while the Party for Freedom briefly took the lead towards the end of the count.

The Dutch will have to wait until Monday for official confirmation of the election results, when the postal votes of citizens living abroad have also been counted.

(reuters, lup, max)