Elections: The Hague, Labour stays on top

Thursday 04 March 2010

The Labour party clung on to first place in the Hague although its support fell sharply and the social democrats lost five of their 15 seats.

Geert Wilders' anti-Islam PVV emerged as the second biggest party in the political capital, with eight seats and 17.1% of the vote.

'This is a fantastic breakthrough,' local campaign leader Sietse Fritsma told supporters in a televised speech. 'We are going to drive the established parties insane.'

Labour's local leader Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven did not explicitly rule out forming a coalition with the PVV but told Nos tv she did not see anything in the party's manifesto that might make it possible.

PVV leader Geert Wilders said last week a ban on Muslim headscarves in public buildings would be central to coalition negotiations.

© DutchNews.nl

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