Dutch centrist D66 party confirmed as election winner, ANP says
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Jetten claimed victory based on ANP’s announcement and urged mainstream parties from the left to the right to unite.
“Voters have clearly indicated the need for cooperation,” Jetten told reporters on Friday. “We want to find a majority that will eagerly work on issues such as the housing market, migration, climate and the economy.”
WILDERS DOES NOT CONCEDE DEFEAT
Wilders did not concede defeat and in a social media post called Jetten “arrogant” for not waiting for the announcement of the final result by the country’s election council next week.
With around 18% of the votes, the party will need at least three coalition partners to reach a simple majority in the 150-seat lower chamber of parliament.
Wilders also called for an investigation into what he said was “a stream” of claims of alleged voter fraud sent to him from sources from all over the country. He said he had no idea whether the reports had substance but that they should be investigated.
DENIAL OF VOTE FRAUD
One of the municipalities mentioned in the messages, Zaanstad, immediately denied the incidents described.
“There is no truth to these messages. Voting has happened carefully, with oversight,” a spokesperson for the town north of Amsterdam told newspaper AD.
The D66 tripled its seat count with an upbeat campaign and a surge in advertising spending, while Wilders lost a large part of the support that had propelled him to a shock victory at the previous poll in 2023.
Still, Wednesday’s election turned into a nailbiter, as preliminary results indicated a narrow victory for D66, while the PVV briefly pulled ahead towards the end of the count.
Confirmation of the result will come on Monday, when mail ballots cast by Dutch residents living abroad are counted.
Party leaders will discuss the next steps on Tuesday.
Reporting by Bart Meijer, editing by David Holmes, Gareth Jones and Mark Heinrich
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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