Netherlands election: Rob Jetten could become youngest leader after close tie with Geert Wilders

"D66 notably almost tripled its seat count, marking the election's largest gains, contrasting sharply with Mr Wilders' party, which declined significantly from its 2023 record. "This is the best result for D66 ever," 38-year-old party leader Rob Jetten told a crowd of party insiders and media after he had been welcomed with chants of the party's optimistic election slogan "Het kan wel", or "It is possible"."

""As long as there's no 100% clarity on this, no D66 scout can get started. We will do everything we can to prevent this," he said. A scout is an official appointed by the winning party to look into possible coalitions. But all major mainstream parties have ruled out governing with Wilders after he brought down the last coalition led by his PVV, leaving him no viable path to a majority."

The near-total count showed two parties tied with 26 seats each, creating an unprecedented tie and likely delaying the start of coalition formation. D66 almost tripled its seat count and recorded the election's largest gains while the Party for Freedom (PVV) is forecast to lose 11 seats from its 2023 record. Rob Jetten hailed D66's best-ever result after a late surge promising to tackle housing shortages, invest in education, and address immigration. Geert Wilders insisted PVV should play a leading role if largest, but most mainstream parties refuse to govern with him, leaving no clear majority and opening a path for Jetten to form a government.

Read at Irish Independent