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The Netherlands is poised to elect its youngest prime minister in history after far-right leader Geert Wilders’ party appeared to lose ground in an election he triggered by toppling the government.
Rob Jetten, the 28-year-old head of the centrist D66 party, was on track to become prime minister as early results showed his party securing 27 out of 150 seats in the Dutch parliament — narrowly ahead of Wilders’ Freedom Party, which was projected to win 25, according to an Ipsos exit poll.
This comes just two years after Jetten led D66 to victory with 37 seats, though his coalition partners at the time declined to back him for the top post. He will now need to form a coalition again, as a majority requires at least 76 seats — meaning at least four parties must join forces.
Wilders, one of Europe’s longest-serving populist figures known for his anti-Islam rhetoric and proposals to reject all asylum requests and cut foreign aid, conceded defeat early Thursday. “I regret the loss, but it’s not as if we were wiped out,” he said, adding that Jetten “deserves congratulations.”
Jetten, who would also become the Netherlands’ first openly gay prime minister, saw a late surge in support thanks to a campaign focused on addressing the housing crisis, investing in education, and managing immigration responsibly. Like most mainstream Dutch parties, he has pledged continued support for Ukraine, NATO, and the European Union.
Celebrating the results, Jetten told supporters: “We’ve shown the Netherlands — and the world — that it’s possible to defeat populist and far-right movements.”
He now faces potentially lengthy coalition negotiations, with a likely alliance involving D66, the conservative Christian Democrats, the centre-right VVD, and the Greens-Labour bloc.
