Exit polls after Wednesday’s election in the Netherlands give Geert Wilders’ right-wing Freedom Party a wide lead, but no absolute majority, taking the most seats.
The Ipsos survey gives the Party for Freedom (PVV) 35 seats out of 150 in the country’s Parliament.
His anti-immigration message, which includes closing borders and deporting illegal immigrants ending the “asylum tsunami”, appears to have resonated with Dutch voters.
He hastened to publish a video duly celebrating the result.
“The voters have spoken and said they are tired. We will put the voters first” he told his fans who were waiting for him in a cafe to the sounds of music from “Rocky”.
35!!!!!!
PVV GROOTSTE PARTIJ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/oMANVYvGjy
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) November 22, 2023
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The Alliance of Greens and Workers (GL/PvdA), led by former Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, gets 26 seats and the Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), led by Dylan Gesilgioz, 23 seats.
Pieter Omzigt’s New Social Contract (NSC) party follows with 20 seats.
Another 12 parties win, according to the exit poll, from one to 10 seats.
Wilders’ lead – if confirmed by the final results – marks a shift to the right, which is expected to cause concern in Brussels as the PVV has promised to hold a referendum on the Netherlands joining the European Union.
In relation to the 2021 elections, the PVV doubled its seats (from 17 to 35) and the Green/Labor coalition won nine seats.
On the contrary, the VVD lost 11 seats and stayed away from the first place, while the presence of the Omzigt party was impressive, occupying 20 seats with its first appearance.
