D66, PVV Tied In Dutch Election As Immigration And EU Divide Nation (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

THE HAGUE/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The fiercely anti-Islam but pro-Israel Party for Freedom (PVV) led by seasoned politician Geert Wilders was only slightly behind the left-leaning centrist Democrats 66 (D66) party with nearly all votes counted Thursday in the Dutch general election.

Both parties gained 26 seats each in the 150-seat Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber), the main legislative branch of the Dutch parliament, the results showed.

The unprecedented neck-and-neck race to become the biggest party underscored the mounting polarization in this small seafaring European nation of 18 million people.

The PVV seeks to close the borders for asylum seekers, citing overcrowded reception centers, a housing crisis, and mounting fears of Islamization in the Netherlands, which has Judeo-Christian roots.

Its anti-immigration plans, embrace of Israel, and criticism of the European Union resemble views expressed by U.S. President Donald J. Trump and his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.

It is therefore unlikely to become part of a new coalition government with D66, viewed as one of the most pro-EU parties in the country.

EU RELIEF AND UNCERTAINTY

In Brussels, there was a sigh of relief at the prospect that D66 leader Rob Jetten, 38, may become the next prime minister — and the first openly gay Dutch government leader.

Some even described him as the Dutch version of U.S. President Barack Obama in his younger days.

Yet EU officials are expected to closely follow what will happen to the Netherlands’ traditionally fiscally conservative stance when it comes to financial matters.

The previous twice-collapsed Dutch cabinet had said “no” to Eurobonds, to abolishing veto powers in EU enlargement, and to giving more money to Brussels.

Jetten said he wants to stop saying “no.”

“I cannot emphasize enough how dire the situation in Europe will become if we don’t move toward deeper integration,” he added.

COALITION CHALLENGE

Yet the nail-biting finish is expected to lead to delays in starting the process of forming a new coalition. No Dutch election has previously ended in a tie for the lead between two parties.

When D66 reached its previous record of 24 seats in 2021, the leader at the time, Sigrid Kaag, danced for joy on a table at a party meeting — an event critics viewed as highly choreographed for the press.

This time, current D66 leader Rob Jetten cut the cake for the party faithful gathered at parliament.

“This is the best result for D66 ever,” the 38-year-old told a crowd of party insiders and media on Thursday morning after being welcomed with chants of the party’s optimistic election slogan “Het kan wel” — “It is possible.”

Wilders’ Party for Freedom is forecast to lose 11 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, while D66 gains 17, according to the vote count.

In a media statement after the vote-counting indicated a tie between the PVV and D66, Wilders made it clear that his party should play a part in forming the next government.

VOTER IN CHARGE

“The voter is in charge, not the other parties. As long as it’s not 100 percent clear, D66 can’t take the lead. We will do everything we can to prevent that,” Wilders noted.

While he lost seats, the still-strong support for the PVV reflected growing concern about the influx of migrants and asylum seekers, many from Islamic nations.

In 2023, some 336,900 people arrived in the Netherlands, while 192,500 left, resulting in a net increase of 144,400 people, according to official data.

There has also been outrage about the recent killing of a 17-year-old girl by an asylum seeker staying illegally in the Netherlands.

The PVV says this has contributed to a housing crisis and recent violent clashes at reception centers and in The Hague, where protesters attempted to storm the parliamentary complex last month — a development American observers compared to the storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, by rioters claiming to be supporters of President Donald J. Trump.

With D66 and PVV tied, weeks or even months of coalition negotiations are expected to ensue, involving liberal, left-wing, and right-wing parties.

Analysts say the outcome will determine whether the Netherlands — once a model of pragmatic compromise — continues to drift toward stricter migration measures and a harder stance toward the EU, or returns to the political center of Europe.

Latest Worthy News