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| Dutch election: Rutte's VVD party leads as Geert Wilders fails to break through – live | Dutch election: Rutte's VVD party leads as Geert Wilders fails to break through – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.38am GMT | |
| 06:38 | |
| Summary | |
| Claire Phipps | |
| The results | |
| VVD, the centre-right party led by incumbent prime minister Mark Rutte, has emerged as the biggest party, knocking back the predicted surge of Geert Wilders’ far-right PVV. | |
| Rutte’s party looks likely to take 33 seats (a loss of eight MPs) and will – as expected and is typical for the 150-seat Dutch parliament – need to enter into coalition talks to form a new government. | |
| Wilders, despite a projected second-place finish overall with around 20 seats, is not likely to be part of those negotiations, with all major parties unwilling to work with his populist, anti-Islam MPs. | |
| The collapse of Rutte’s former coalition partners, the social democratic PvdA, slumping from 38 seats to a projected nine, means the PM will need to seek new agreements. The Christian Democrats (centre to centre-right) and Democrats 66 (economic: centre-right, social: centre-left), each with an expected 19 MPs, are the obvious candidates. | |
| But the unexpected victor of the night was GreenLeft, led by 30-year-old Jesse Klaver, which boosted its four seats to a projected 14. It could now play kingmaker in coalition talks. | |
| Talks are likely to last for some time – possibly weeks or months. The official tally of results will be published on 21 March. | |
| The reaction | |
| Rutte hailed the win, saying it was the moment in which | |
| The Netherlands said ‘Stop’ to the wrong sort of populism. | |
| Wilders called Rutte’s remarks | |
| very worrying, as if populists are semi-Nazis … If all the losers like the VVD form a government, we need to have a strong opposition of winners like the PVV. | |
| The result was welcomed in Europe with German chancellor Angela Merkel telling Rutte: | |
| I look forward to working with you as friends, neighbours and Europeans. | |
| French president François Hollande congratulated Rutte: | |
| The values of openness, respect for others, and a faith in Europe’s future are the only true response to the nationalist impulses and isolationism that are shaking the world. | |
| And this was GreenLeft’s response to its electoral surge: | |
| #tk2017 pic.twitter.com/Vo6oVKjBI1 | |
| Updated | |
| at 6.48am GMT | |
| 6.33am GMT | |
| 06:33 | |
| The collapse of the Dutch Labour party PvdA – on course to fall from 38 seats to just nine – means its role as coalition partner to VVD is under threat. | |
| Leader Lodewijk Asscher has reportedly said he sees no role for his shrunken party in new coalition talks, which are likely instead to involve the Christian Democrats and Democrats 66, with a possible role for GreenLeft too. | |
| Asscher called the result “a blow”: | |
| Aan wie ons steunde: dank voor uw vertrouwen! De uitslag is een dreun maar de toekomst van de sociaaldemocratie is strijd waard | |
| (My rudimentary translation: “To all who supported us, thank you for your trust. The outcome is a blow, but the future of social democracy is worth fighting for.”) | |
| 6.11am GMT | 6.11am GMT |
| 06:11 | 06:11 |
| Here are those latest figures; about 95% of the vote has been counted now, but the final official numbers are not published until 21 March. Nonetheless this is a pretty good guide to the way the new parliament will look: | Here are those latest figures; about 95% of the vote has been counted now, but the final official numbers are not published until 21 March. Nonetheless this is a pretty good guide to the way the new parliament will look: |
| Good morning! Here are the #DutchElection results. The pollsters were very close. (Final official results will be released 21 March.) pic.twitter.com/tLWBnRYwTM | Good morning! Here are the #DutchElection results. The pollsters were very close. (Final official results will be released 21 March.) pic.twitter.com/tLWBnRYwTM |
| 6.03am GMT | 6.03am GMT |
| 06:03 | 06:03 |
| Dutch front pages | Dutch front pages |
| NRC: Rutte can do it – but with whom? | NRC: Rutte can do it – but with whom? |
| Voorpagina nrc morgen pic.twitter.com/yhSuNDosyB | Voorpagina nrc morgen pic.twitter.com/yhSuNDosyB |
| Algemeen Dagblad: Rutte again | Algemeen Dagblad: Rutte again |
| Voorpagina AD donderdag! pic.twitter.com/lEU60pfiUM | Voorpagina AD donderdag! pic.twitter.com/lEU60pfiUM |
| BN DeStem: Rutte keeps smiling | BN DeStem: Rutte keeps smiling |
| Voorpagina BN DeStem the day after: Rutte blijft lachen pic.twitter.com/qfgbcX4aTz | Voorpagina BN DeStem the day after: Rutte blijft lachen pic.twitter.com/qfgbcX4aTz |
| De Volkskrant: Rutte keeps populists down | De Volkskrant: Rutte keeps populists down |
| Dit is de voorpagina van de krant van donderdag 16 maart. En heel veel is al te lezen op Volkskrant.nl pic.twitter.com/wGoOouVGdY | Dit is de voorpagina van de krant van donderdag 16 maart. En heel veel is al te lezen op Volkskrant.nl pic.twitter.com/wGoOouVGdY |
| 5.39am GMT | 5.39am GMT |
| 05:39 | 05:39 |
| An editorial in respected Dutch daily NRC says the Netherlands has woken up to a “normal” morning: | An editorial in respected Dutch daily NRC says the Netherlands has woken up to a “normal” morning: |
| The Dutch have woken up in a “normal” country, as prime minister Mark Rutte puts it: there was no populist revolt. | The Dutch have woken up in a “normal” country, as prime minister Mark Rutte puts it: there was no populist revolt. |
| Rutte’s VVD lost a quarter of its support but thanks to its substantial lead over the other parties finds itself in an exceptionally comfortable position as leader. | Rutte’s VVD lost a quarter of its support but thanks to its substantial lead over the other parties finds itself in an exceptionally comfortable position as leader. |
| The PvdA, however, one of the pillars of the postwar welfare state, is in existential crisis. Never in parliamentary history has a party lost so many seats. | The PvdA, however, one of the pillars of the postwar welfare state, is in existential crisis. Never in parliamentary history has a party lost so many seats. |
| What is clear is that governing does not pay. The outgoing government presented a dream budget this year: what should have gone up went up, what should have come down came down. The Netherlands is currently one of the best performing countries in the EU. And still voters punished the outgoing coalition severely. | What is clear is that governing does not pay. The outgoing government presented a dream budget this year: what should have gone up went up, what should have come down came down. The Netherlands is currently one of the best performing countries in the EU. And still voters punished the outgoing coalition severely. |
| For the voter, apparently, politics is about more than the economy. | For the voter, apparently, politics is about more than the economy. |
| 5.18am GMT | 5.18am GMT |
| 05:18 | 05:18 |
| Jon Henley | Jon Henley |
| The Dutch news agency ANP has said its final results forecast, usually published sometime on election night, is unlikely to be available until later on Thursday or even on Friday. | The Dutch news agency ANP has said its final results forecast, usually published sometime on election night, is unlikely to be available until later on Thursday or even on Friday. |
| That’s because several large municipalities including Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht don’t expect to finish counting until then. | That’s because several large municipalities including Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht don’t expect to finish counting until then. |
| But the ANP’s election chief, Mark Westerhoff, said he expected no further significant changes to the picture. With 93.3% of votes counted, that was: | But the ANP’s election chief, Mark Westerhoff, said he expected no further significant changes to the picture. With 93.3% of votes counted, that was: |
| VVD 33 seats | VVD 33 seats |
| PVV 20 | PVV 20 |
| CDA and D66 19 each | CDA and D66 19 each |
| GroenLinks, SP 14 | GroenLinks, SP 14 |
| PvdA 9 | PvdA 9 |
| ChristenUnie and Partij voor de Dieren 5 each | ChristenUnie and Partij voor de Dieren 5 each |
| 50PLUS 4 | 50PLUS 4 |
| SGP and DENK 3 | SGP and DENK 3 |
| Forum for Democracy 2 | Forum for Democracy 2 |
| 5.08am GMT | 5.08am GMT |
| 05:08 | 05:08 |
| Some happy campaigners in The Hague: | Some happy campaigners in The Hague: |
| 4.32am GMT | 4.32am GMT |
| 04:32 | 04:32 |
| Writing for RTL Z, Roderick Veelo cautions against assumptions that the populist far-right is over: | Writing for RTL Z, Roderick Veelo cautions against assumptions that the populist far-right is over: |
| Responsibility – the willingness to steer the country through difficult times – seems to be the Achilles heel of the PVV [Geert Wilders’ Freedom party] … Wilders’ lack of responsibility broke into the campaign on the final weekend with the diplomatic row with Turkey. With perhaps the most energetic move of his career, Rutte put Wilders in checkmate. | Responsibility – the willingness to steer the country through difficult times – seems to be the Achilles heel of the PVV [Geert Wilders’ Freedom party] … Wilders’ lack of responsibility broke into the campaign on the final weekend with the diplomatic row with Turkey. With perhaps the most energetic move of his career, Rutte put Wilders in checkmate. |
| Rutte showed courage and leadership in a very difficult matter of national importance, and for potential PVV voters became a better choice than Wilders … Rutte is still standing, but so too is the social discontent about uncontrolled immigration, failed integration and the power of Brussels. | Rutte showed courage and leadership in a very difficult matter of national importance, and for potential PVV voters became a better choice than Wilders … Rutte is still standing, but so too is the social discontent about uncontrolled immigration, failed integration and the power of Brussels. |
| This dissatisfaction is not going away. The broad coalition that will govern this country soon must show responsibility and courage on these subjects and go to work with real solutions. Only when that happens will the populist revolt die a quiet death. | This dissatisfaction is not going away. The broad coalition that will govern this country soon must show responsibility and courage on these subjects and go to work with real solutions. Only when that happens will the populist revolt die a quiet death. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.34am GMT | at 4.34am GMT |
| 3.50am GMT | 3.50am GMT |
| 03:50 | 03:50 |
| The Dutch election result has had a buoying effect on the euro, Reuters reports: | The Dutch election result has had a buoying effect on the euro, Reuters reports: |
| The euro stood tall on Thursday after Dutch election exit polls pointed to a comfortable win by the prime minister over his far-right rival. | The euro stood tall on Thursday after Dutch election exit polls pointed to a comfortable win by the prime minister over his far-right rival. |
| The euro climbed to a five-week high of $1.0746 on Thursday, after surging 1.2 percent overnight. | The euro climbed to a five-week high of $1.0746 on Thursday, after surging 1.2 percent overnight. |
| The common currency was boosted as exit polls showed the Netherlands’ centre-right prime minister Mark Rutte roundly saw off a challenge by anti-Islam, anti-EU Geert Wilders in an election on Wednesday, alleviating concerns towards Holland opting to leave the EU. | The common currency was boosted as exit polls showed the Netherlands’ centre-right prime minister Mark Rutte roundly saw off a challenge by anti-Islam, anti-EU Geert Wilders in an election on Wednesday, alleviating concerns towards Holland opting to leave the EU. |
| “The euro’s rise was an initial reaction to the Dutch exit polls and the currency could rise further when the European ‘mother market’ comes into session later in the day,” said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo. | “The euro’s rise was an initial reaction to the Dutch exit polls and the currency could rise further when the European ‘mother market’ comes into session later in the day,” said Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist at Mizuho Securities in Tokyo. |
| “How much further support the euro can garner would depend on how the Dutch vote could now impact the French presidential elections, for example by eroding support for [Marine] Le Pen. We could see the euro gain further if spreads between French and German government bonds tighten today.” | “How much further support the euro can garner would depend on how the Dutch vote could now impact the French presidential elections, for example by eroding support for [Marine] Le Pen. We could see the euro gain further if spreads between French and German government bonds tighten today.” |
| 3.21am GMT | 3.21am GMT |
| 03:21 | 03:21 |
| Voting continues swiftly – we’re now into single-digit percentages still to tot up. | Voting continues swiftly – we’re now into single-digit percentages still to tot up. |
| It’s a three-way race for second place, but VVD is unassailable in first. | It’s a three-way race for second place, but VVD is unassailable in first. |
| At 93.5% of votes counted, Rutte's VVD to win 33 seats, Wilders' PVV 20 seats, V66 and CDA tie for 19 #DutchElection https://t.co/XeqCep9PE6 | At 93.5% of votes counted, Rutte's VVD to win 33 seats, Wilders' PVV 20 seats, V66 and CDA tie for 19 #DutchElection https://t.co/XeqCep9PE6 |
| 2.50am GMT | 2.50am GMT |
| 02:50 | 02:50 |
| Jon Henley | Jon Henley |
| The big winner – and now the largest party of the Dutch left for the first time – was GreenLeft, headed by 30-year-old Jesse Klaver, hailed by his enthusiastic supporters as the “Jessiah”. | The big winner – and now the largest party of the Dutch left for the first time – was GreenLeft, headed by 30-year-old Jesse Klaver, hailed by his enthusiastic supporters as the “Jessiah”. |
| The party – formed 25 years ago by a merger of communists, pacifists, evangelicals and self-styled radicals – looks set to quadruple its MPs from four to 16 after a storming campaign by Klaver. | The party – formed 25 years ago by a merger of communists, pacifists, evangelicals and self-styled radicals – looks set to quadruple its MPs from four to 16 after a storming campaign by Klaver. |
| “This is a fantastic result for us, a historic victory,” said the party chairwoman, Marjolein Meijer. | “This is a fantastic result for us, a historic victory,” said the party chairwoman, Marjolein Meijer. |
| The result showed there was “very fertile ground in the Netherlands for change and a positive and hopeful story”, she said. “For us this is just the beginning.” | The result showed there was “very fertile ground in the Netherlands for change and a positive and hopeful story”, she said. “For us this is just the beginning.” |
| The Netherlands’ youngest ever party leader, Klaver built a strong following on social media through small Meetup events after taking over GreenLeft’s leadership in May 2015. His rallies were among the campaign’s largest, including an Amsterdam meeting that drew more than 5,000 people – plus 5,000 more following live on Facebook. | The Netherlands’ youngest ever party leader, Klaver built a strong following on social media through small Meetup events after taking over GreenLeft’s leadership in May 2015. His rallies were among the campaign’s largest, including an Amsterdam meeting that drew more than 5,000 people – plus 5,000 more following live on Facebook. |
| His TV debates were also widely regarded as triumphs. In one debate watched by 1.6 million viewers, Klaver told his far-right, anti-Islam rival Geert Wilders that it was rightwing populism, not Muslim immigration, that was undermining Dutch culture and traditions. | His TV debates were also widely regarded as triumphs. In one debate watched by 1.6 million viewers, Klaver told his far-right, anti-Islam rival Geert Wilders that it was rightwing populism, not Muslim immigration, that was undermining Dutch culture and traditions. |
| “The values the Netherlands stands for – for many, many decades, centuries actually – its freedom, its tolerance, its empathy … [the populists] are destroying it,” he said during one campaign interview. | “The values the Netherlands stands for – for many, many decades, centuries actually – its freedom, its tolerance, its empathy … [the populists] are destroying it,” he said during one campaign interview. |
| “It’s terrible when people are born in the Netherlands have the feeling they are not part of this society and it is not something to be proud of, but something to be ashamed of. And I want to change that.” | “It’s terrible when people are born in the Netherlands have the feeling they are not part of this society and it is not something to be proud of, but something to be ashamed of. And I want to change that.” |