Voting opens in Netherlands as narrowing polls suggest second Geert Wilders win

"Voting is under way in a knife-edge parliamentary election in the Netherlands that polls suggest could again be won by the far-right Freedom party (PVV) of Geert Wilders, although there is little chance of it being part of the next government. The PVV, which finished a shock first in the last election and formed a short-lived, four-party rightwing coalition, has seen its once sizeable lead fade fast. With nearly half the electorate undecided, analysts say the race is too tight to call."

"Final polling averages suggest Wilders' party could win between 24 and 28 seats in the 150-seat parliament, well down on the 37 it captured in the 2023 elections. Even if it does finish first, all major parties have ruled out going into government with the anti-immigration firebrand. Wilders pulled the plug on the outgoing government in June, less than a year after it took office, when the PVV's coalition partners refused to endorse his radical anti-refugee plans, widely seen as unworkable or illegal."

"By the end of a campaign dominated by migration, healthcare costs and the Netherland's acute housing crisis, mainstream parties spanning the spectrum from centre-left to moderate right had narrowed the PVV's early lead to almost nothing. It's up to the voters today, Wilders who has spent 20 years under police protection said on Wednesday after voting, surrounded by security guards, at city hall in The Hague."

Voting is underway in a razor-thin Dutch parliamentary election where the far-right Freedom party (PVV) of Geert Wilders could again finish first, though its lead has sharply narrowed and it may win about 24–28 of 150 seats. Nearly half the electorate remains undecided, making the race too close to call. All major parties have ruled out joining a government with the PVV after Wilders ended the previous coalition when partners rejected his radical anti-refugee plans. Campaign issues included migration, healthcare costs and an acute housing crisis, with the GL/PvdA alliance polling strongly.

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