D66 wins Dutch election, Rob Jetten poised to lead coalition talks

THE HAGUE -- The Democrats 66 (D66) party has won the Dutch parliamentary election, the ANP election service announced on Friday, positioning its leader Rob Jetten to lead efforts to form a new ruling coalition.

The ANP, the Dutch press agency that has provided provisional election results since 1938, called the race for D66 after the party secured a lead of more than 15,000 votes with only one municipality and some postal ballots left to count, making it mathematically impossible for Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) to overtake it.

While the official results will be certified by the Dutch Electoral Council on Nov. 7, ANP noted its projections have a long-established record of accuracy.

D66 and the PVV are each projected to win 26 of the 150 seats in the lower house of parliament, though ANP said D66 could still gain one more as remaining votes are finalized. The result gives Jetten the initiative to begin coalition talks, starting with the appointment of a "scout," an official tasked with exploring possible government alliances, the Dutch public broadcaster reported.

NOS quoted Jetten as saying he was "incredibly happy" with the outcome, but also felt a great responsibility. "What I want is a scout who is not only able to represent D66 as the largest party, but also bring all parties together and get to work quickly," he told reporters.

Party leaders are expected to meet on Tuesday at the invitation of the House speaker, when Jetten is likely to formally announce the name of the "scout."

The election was triggered after the PVV withdrew from the governing coalition in June amid a dispute over immigration, prompting the resignation of Prime Minister Dick Schoof's cabinet, which has since served in a caretaker role. With D66's win, coalition negotiations are now set to determine the shape of the next Dutch government.