In the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands, an almost complete vote count confirmed that the anti-European far-right Freedom Party (PVV) led by Geert Wilders, who does not support the further transfer of arms to Ukraine, won by a huge margin from its opponents.
The preliminary forecast, based on 98% of the votes counted, shows that the PVV won 37 seats in the parliaments – two more than the exit poll predicted. And this is 20 seats more than the party has in the parliament now.
It is followed by the alliance of Left-Greens and Labor (GroenLinks-PvdA) led by the former vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, with 3 25 seats.
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of the current Prime Minister Mark Rutte, which was led to the elections by Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, can count on 24 seats.
The newly formed political party New Social Contract (NSC), led by Pieter Omtzigt, won 20 mandates.
The new Union of Farmers-Citizens (BBB), formed against the background of farmers' protests in the Netherlands, can count on seven mandates.
All parties from the current coalition with the VVD significantly worsened the results: Democracy 66 (D66) gets nine seats, Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) - five, and Christian Union (CU) - three seats.
Voter turnout was 77.8%.
After the elections, the Netherlands will face a long process of forming a coalition.
As NOS notes, it is likely that Wilders will lead the process of forming a new government. Wilders is likely to try to form a right-wing government with the VVD and the NSC party, which together have an 81-seat majority in the 150-seat parliament.
Negotiations could be difficult, as both sides have said they have serious doubts about working with Wilders because of his outspoken anti-Islamic stance, which includes seeking to ban all mosques and the Koran in the Netherlands.
An Ipsos voter survey shows that migration and asylum were important issues for voters, and Wilders' nationalist party benefited from this.
Wilders is a supporter of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policies and has openly opposed the EU, calling on the Netherlands to control its borders, significantly cut its payments to the Union, and block any new members from joining.
He also repeatedly stated that the Netherlands should stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, saying that they needed the weapons for defense. However, none of the parties with which he could potentially form a government share these ideas.
Rutte, who has ruled the country for the past ten years, will remain in office until a new government takes office, likely in the first half of 2024.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Dutch Prime Minister Rutte may receive broad support for the post of NATO chairman.
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