Rob Jetten Declares Victory as D66 Pulls Ahead in Dutch Elections

THE HAGUE--Rob Jetten has declared victory for his party D66, after projections by news agency ANP confirmed it had edged ahead of Geert Wilders’s PVV and could no longer be overtaken.

“Thank you for your trust,” Jetten wrote on social media. “We are the largest party in the Netherlands, and now we will get to work for everyone in this country.”

Standing before reporters in The Hague, the 38-year-old D66 leader said his next step would be to shape a coalition that reflects a broad segment of the population. “The challenge now is to represent even those who did not vote for us, on key issues like housing, migration, climate, and the economy,” he said.

Jetten described the outcome as complex and urged political leaders to focus on stability rather than rivalry. A coalition with the centre-right VVD and the far-right JA21, he noted, would not be his preferred path. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz, whose party secured 22 seats, has said such an alignment would be her first choice.

“I hope VVD leader Yesilgöz takes time to reflect,” Jetten said. “Campaigns are about ideals and competition, but now comes the responsibility of governing, making sure the Netherlands can move forward together.”

Although not all ballots have been tallied, ANP’s latest count shows D66 ahead of PVV by more than 15,000 votes. The remaining votes to be counted come from Venray in Noord-Limburg, a PVV stronghold, and approximately 90,000 ballots from Dutch citizens abroad, who traditionally favour D66.

If confirmed, the results position Jetten to lead coalition talks. Party leaders are expected to meet next Tuesday to choose a verkenner, a senior figure who will consult with all 15 parties projected to win seats in parliament to identify possible governing combinations.

The projected victory would mark several firsts in Dutch politics: the country’s first D66 prime minister, its youngest, and its first openly gay head of government.

Jetten entered parliament in 2017, led the D66 parliamentary faction from 2018, and took over national party leadership in 2023 following the resignation of Sigrid Kaag. He is also set to marry his partner, Argentine hockey player Nicolás Keenan, next year.

Both D66 and PVV currently stand at 26 seats in the 150-member parliament, but analysts predict that D66 could gain one additional seat once the final count is completed.

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