THE HAGUE, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Democrats 66 (D66), led by Rob Jetten, has taken a narrow lead with 27 seats in the Dutch parliamentary elections, according to the first exit poll published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Wednesday.
The Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, followed closely with 25 seats, while the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) ranked third with 23 seats. The Green Left-Labor alliance is projected to win 20 seats, just ahead of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with 19.
However, NOS cautioned that the results remain preliminary, citing an Ipsos poll margin of error of up to two seats. The exit poll was conducted at 65 polling stations and included responses from approximately 80,000 voters.
The D66 emerged as the biggest winner, gaining 18 seats compared to its performance in the 2023 elections.
In contrast, all four parties that formed the ruling coalition after the 2023 elections - the PVV, VVD, Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), and New Social Contract (NSC) - saw their support decline.
The PVV is projected to fall from 37 to 25 seats, while the VVD and BBB are expected to lose one and three seats respectively. The NSC faces a complete collapse, dropping from 20 seats to zero.
"The voters have spoken. We had hoped for a different result, but we stood our ground," PVV leader Wilders wrote on social media platform X. "We are more combative than ever and remain the second, and perhaps even the largest, party in the Netherlands."
The election was called after the PVV withdrew from the governing coalition in June over an immigration dispute, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Dick Schoof's cabinet, which has since served in a caretaker capacity. The winning party is expected to begin coalition talks to form a new government. ■
