D66 leader Rob Jetten celebrates unity, optimism, rejection of hate

THE HAGUE--Rob Jetten was brimming with positivity when he delivered a victory speech to his campaign staff and colleagues at the D66 party in Leiden. The 38-year-old leader of the centrist political faction said the exit poll results after Wednesday's election made it clear that Dutch voters were fed up with division and hatred in national politics.

"Today, we achieved D66's best result ever, and we may well be the largest party in the country," Jetten said, noting that it could take some time for all the votes to be counted. "One thing is quite certain. Millions of Dutch people have turned a page today. They have turned the page on negativity, hatred, and the notion of 'it can't be done,'" he said enthusiastically.

His party was projected to take 27 of the 150 seats in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament. The result would triple the party's influence in the Tweede Kamer, and would push D66 into a position to be the largest party, while far-right party PVV dropped from 37 seats down to 25 MPs, according to exit polls from Ipsos I&O. D66 appears to have stolen votes from all major parties, but most from GroenLinks-PvdA (20 percent). NSC (13) and VVD (11) also contributed a large share to D66's gains, as did the PVV (7 percent).

While the two parties were within the margin of error, it puts Jetten in a position to get the first attempt to form a coalition and potentially become the next prime minister. The major parties winning seats in the election already indicated they would not work with PVV leader Geert Wilders. Exit polling showed a plurality of 15 percent of voters want Jetten as the next prime minister, followed by 13 percent who support CDA leader Henri Bontenbal, 12 percent who back Wilders, and 10 percent who like Frans Timmermans, who stepped down as GroenLinks-Pvda leader after a poor showing in the election.

"Millions of people have chosen the positive forces that will help us look forward together again," he said to the cheering crowd. He asked for political leaders to rise up in a positive manner, and to show their "faith" in the Dutch voters by standing behind "political leadership from the political center."

He called on them to reject negativity, and to also "turn the page" on people like Wilders. He also acknowledged that millions of people voted for other parties as well. Jetten said he felt a deep responsibility for them, and wants to represent not only D66 voters "but all Dutch people."

Survey data from Ipsos I&O showed that 41 percent of voters want D66 to be in the Cabinet, and 40 percent would also like to see the center-right Christian party CDA in a coalition. About a third want the right-wing VVD to join its sixth successive coalition government.

Roughly 27 percent would be comfortable with the PVV in another Cabinet, after Wilders abruptly pulled his party out of the current government. Also, only about 27 percent want left-wing faction GroenLinks-PvdA in the coalition. Party leader Frans Timmermans resigned on Wednesday after the exit poll showed his party would likely wind up with 20 seats in the Tweede Kamer, down from 25.

Jetten called GroenLinks-PvdA a "very logical option for the coalition, if you look purely at the number of seats that have been won". He is thinking of a coalition with GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD and CDA.

That is not an easy road, because the VVD has constantly emphasized in recent weeks that it will not enter into a coalition with GroenLinks-PvdA. VVD leader Yesilgöz also wants Not in a coalition in which the mortgage interest deduction is phased out, while the other three parties have it in their election program.

JA21 is not mentioned as a possible coalition partner by Jetten and that is tactically smart according to political reporter Arjan Noorlander. "If the negotiation with GroenLinks-PvdA fails, he can call JA21. Then he is stronger in the negotiations, because he does that at the request of the VVD."

On the results page of the NOS you can see that D66, GL-PvdA, VVD and CDA are on 86 seats in the latest exit poll.

Frans Timmermans quits as

GroenLinks-PvdA leader after losses

Frans Timmermans has resigned as leader of the GroenLinks-PvdA alliance following the party’s poor showing in the general election.

According to the most recent exit poll, the alliance is on course to win 20 seats, a loss of four compared with the 2023 election. Timmermans had made it clear before the vote that he wanted to be prime minister.

In a short speech to party supporters, he said he was very disappointed with the results and that he had not been able to convince enough people to support the GroenLinks-PvdA message.

“As leader, I will take responsibility for that,” he said. “It is time for me to step back and give the leadership to the next generation. That is what a leader should do.”

PVV slips

PVV appears set to lose at least ten seats, a setback that grew in recent days despite months of leading national polls. Geert Wilders argues that the party’s limited coalition prospects hurt support, since rival parties signaled they would not govern with PVV, prompting some voters to choose parties seen as able to join a cabinet, such as JA21. His campaign paused after a terror threat from Belgium, then resumed with low-profile visits to PVV strongholds like Venlo and Volendam, limited media interviews, and debate appearances where opponents pressed him about the failed Schoof cabinet and the party’s record.

As the race tightened, PVV’s lead slipped and exit polls showed losses, yet Wilders says results remain close and he still aims to try forming a cabinet if PVV finishes first. Other parties confront a dilemma, exclude the party that may win the most votes, or test talks that are unlikely to produce a coalition. A scout may be appointed to confirm publicly that a cabinet with PVV does not materialize, while parties position themselves for next steps in a fragmented landscape.

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