D66 Triumphs: Paving the Way for Rob Jetten’s Historic Premiership

The centrist D66 party is set to claim victory in the Dutch national election, likely defeating the far-right according to an exit poll released on Wednesday. This outcome opens a path for the dynamic leader Rob Jetten to become the Netherlands' youngest and first openly gay prime minister.

With the exit poll projecting D66 to secure 27 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, the party edges out far-right leader Geert Wilders' Freedom Party, which is expected to garner 25. As D66 supporters celebrated with cheers and chants of 'Yes, we can,' Jetten's popularity peaked over the past month, driven by his campaign's positive message moving away from Wilders' era.

The outcome reflects a potential halt to the rise of far-right politics in Europe, as most mainstream parties have rejected coalition partnerships with Wilders' nationalist, anti-immigration PVV party. Building a stable coalition may involve alliances with the conservative Christian Democrats, centre-right VVD, and the Greens-Labour party, although negotiations could extend over months.