The Dutch progressive-liberal party D66, led by Rob Jetten, has emerged as the winner of the Netherlands' general election, overtaking Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV).
According to final analyses from the ANP election service, based on municipal results, Wilders' PVV can no longer catch up. The two parties had been locked in a close race throughout the count, with results shifting as the final votes came in.
Jetten, 38, is now set to begin talks on forming a coalition government. It remains unclear what shape the next coalition will take, as all major mainstream parties have ruled out working with Wilders, whose anti-Islam rhetoric dominated the campaign.
D66's victory marks a major comeback for the pro-European, liberal party, which has positioned itself as a centrist alternative to populist and right-wing movements in recent years.
