29 October marked a historic victory for liberal forces in the Netherlands, with ALDE Party member D66 emerging as the leading party in the general election.
D66 campaigned on a message of progressive patriotism and five landmark proposals, securing 26 seats and 17% of the vote, the party’s best ever result. The result positions D66 leader Rob Jetten to become the youngest and first openly gay Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He claimed D66 are:
“Putting an end to the Wilders era. We have shown to the Netherlands, but also to the world, that it is possible to beat extremist and far-right movements. At D66, we believe things can be different. That tomorrow can be better than today.”
Fellow ALDE Party member VVD placed third with 22 seats, maintaining its position as a key centre-right force ready to play a constructive role in the next coalition goverment. Party leader Dilan Yeşilgöz described the result as a mandate for stability and responsibility.
Coalition talks are now under way. D66 has proposed Wouter Koolmees as “scout” to explore possible governing alliances. The most likely outcome is a broad centrist coalition including D66, VVD, GL/PvdA and CDA, which together would command a comfortable majority.
Negotiations are expected to last several weeks, possibly extending into early 2026. If successful, Jetten’s government would mark a new era for liberal leadership in Europe. It would also mark a demonstrable push back against the far-right in favour of optimism and progressive reform.
The outcome reshapes the Dutch political landscape. The far-right PVV led by Geert Wilders suffered defeat, while the Green-Labour alliance (GL/PvdA) under former European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans saw a notable decline.