Far-right leader Geert Wilders to win Dutch elections, says exit poll

PVV leader Geert Wilders reacts to the results of the House of Representatives elections in Scheveningen, the Netherlands. The far-right, anti-Islam party of firebrand politician Geert Wilders has won a stunning victory in the Dutch election, partial results showed Wednesday, a political bombshell that will resound in Europe and around the world. Pic/AFP

Dutch far-right leader, Geert Wilders is set to win big in the Netherlands elections, according to exit polls, Politico reported.

In a dramatic result that will stun European politics, his Freedom Party (PVV) is set to win around 35 of the 150 seats in parliament -- more than double the number it secured in the 2021 election, according to exit polls.

The Labour-Green coalition led by Frans Timmermans is predicted to finish in second place with 25 seats, a significant increase from its existing 17 seats.

According to an updated exit poll conducted by Ipsos for national broadcaster NOS, Dilan Yesilgoz, the leader of the centre-right VVD and the successor to outgoing premier Mark Rutte, suffered significant setbacks and is expected to win 24 seats, 10 less than before.

According to Politico, a win for Wilders will put the Netherlands on track -- potentially -- for a dramatic shift in direction, after Rutte's four consecutive centrist governments. The question now, though, is whether any other parties are willing to join Wilders to form a coalition. Despite emerging as the largest party, he will struggle to find an overall majority in parliament.

Even though Wilders has won the most seats, it is unlikely that he will end up as prime minister, it said.

According to Politico, the unexpected victory of the Dutch election will be extreme eurosceptic and anti-Islamic Geert Wilders, a development that would rock European politics.

Wilders' anti-Islamic rhetoric has been evidently part of the PVV's political campaign. The party had suggested outlawing Islamic headscarves in public spaces, as well as a ban on mosques and the Quran, Politico reported.

Moreover, along with being a staunch eurosceptic, Wilders has advocated for a "Nexit" vote on leaving the European Union.

Following the exit polls projection, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was swift to congratulate Wilders. He wrote on X, "The winds of change are here!"

Notably, the election campaign party for Wilders' PVV was hosted in a little cafe in Scheveningen, a seaside town close to The Hague. The first exit poll was announced, and the small room burst into cheers. The outcome also came as a huge shock to PVV executives, as the venue was only booked three days ago after Wilders made an unexpected surge in the polls.

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