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The election: Massive win for VVD, Labour close secondThursday 13 September 2012  The right-wing VVD and prime minister Mark Rutte emerged the winners of Wednesday's general election, with a revitalised Labour party a strong second, making a coalition between the two in some form almost inevitable. The VVD has 41 seats and Labour 39, giving them a combined 80 seats in the 150-seat parliament. 'No one saw this enormous victory coming,' television pundit Ferry Mingelen said. Gains early in the campaign for the Socialist Party disappeared. The SP won 15 seats, the same as its current total. The big shock of the evening was the 43% drop in support for Geert Wilders' anti-immigration PVV as voters shifted away from his populist policies. The PVV, which campaigned on an anti-Europe ticket, won 15 seats - nine down on its current total. The left-wing greens GroenLinks were also punished by voters, losing seven of their 10 seats. New party 50+ debuts with two seats. Stability Television pundits said the shift away from the SP and PVV shows voters want a return to the centre and an end to fringe politics. The change in voting patterns is also being seen as a reinforcement of Dutch support for Europe. Behind-the-scenes talks on forming a new coalition are likely to begin as soon as the dust has settled on Thursday.
From left to right: former Labour leaders Wim Kok and Wouter Bos, a jubilant Diederik Samsom and former leader Job Cohen. Photo: WFA Addressing PvdA supporters, leader Diederik Samsom said it was an extremely special evening. 'One thing is clear, the right-wing policies of the previous years have had it,' he told his audience at Amsterdam's Paradiso music venue. Although the VVD and PvdA control a majority of seats in the 150-seat parliament it will not be easy for them to work together and many insiders say a third party will be necessary to oil the wheels if a left-right alliance is to be a real option. 'Voters are very divided in their approach,' pundit Mingelen said. 'Both the VVD and PvdA feel like winners and it will be a very difficult negotiation process. They both want to translate their ideas into policy.' Policies RTL's political commentator Frits Wester said he expects the VVD and Labour to bring in two centre parties - D66 and the Christian Democrats - to form a strong alliance with a majority in the upper house of parliament. Despite their differences on the housing market, market forces in healthcare and development aid, the VVD and PvdA do take a similar line on Europe, Wester pointed out. 'Labour has always supported the VVD on European issues,' he pointed out. Mark Rutte, one of the first European leaders to survive the eurocrisis congratulated Samsom on his 'unbelievable performance'. In terms of forming a new coalition, it will be 'heavy hitting' for our ideas, he said.
Google and ANP's interactive map after 98% of the votes have been counted The new-look lower house of parliament VVD 41 (31)
© DutchNews.nl
Any figures on voter turnout? By A McB | September 13, 2012 7:05 AM I am very very happy to see the PVV now put completely out of the political picture here. losing 9 seats wow, what a massive humiliating defeat. I guess Geert is not going to get to 'play' PM ;) Not now, and not ever. By Bill | September 13, 2012 7:10 AM I wouldn't call it 'massive', they only got 2 seats more than the second and are forced to look for some twisted deal to rule. By kar | September 13, 2012 7:25 AM If ever there was a time when the nation wants cooperation and political calmness this result is it. Now the responsibility of the politicians is to deliver what has been asked of them By Con Kerwin | September 13, 2012 7:43 AM with the vvd winning where does that leave the weitpas, will it now go ahead, or will the pvda be able to still stop it if they form a coalition.. By col wright | September 13, 2012 8:02 AM With the lose of 9 seats for the PVV my faith in the Dutch has been somewhat restored. Now get rid of the other 15! By groverpm | September 13, 2012 8:25 AM I want to thank the team of DutchNews for informing us about the elections. I used this site to make a decision which party to choose. And now i'm happy to read the above - that my party of choice gained 'zetels'! By Kira | September 13, 2012 8:45 AM It is nice to see that in the Netherlands one man-one vote works as it should, and is not constrained by electoral/state boundaries. It does make forming a working government harder, since a coalition is always necessary. Every policy needs to be decided by compromise and negotiation which stops the flip-flop of extremes other democracies suffer from. Better for the nation, better for the people. The Netherlands have got it right. By jaycee | September 13, 2012 8:55 AM With 41 seats, how can you call it 'Massive Win' for the VVD? Labour has only 2 seats less and you state that yoursels in the title. By ria | September 13, 2012 9:08 AM We really think the PVV should be abandoned. By John | September 13, 2012 9:17 AM If voting made any difference, we wouldn't be allowed to do it -- Mark Twain By woods | September 13, 2012 9:52 AM @Bill, right wingers exist and have to vote for someone. With CDA and PVV out of the picture, their obvious choice is VVD. Let's hope that due to the collaboration with PvdA, VVD will show a more liberal face again, instead of the conservatism of recent years. By pepe | September 13, 2012 9:53 AM No "massive win". What a joke ! On the contrary : left PVDA 39 + SP 15 is equal to right VVD 41 + CDA 13. By Philippe | September 13, 2012 10:07 AM It could be handy if you point out which color represents which party in the map. By thomas | September 13, 2012 10:14 AM I want to emphasize what Kira said above - thank you very much DN for keeping us informed and aware of what is happening in this country. By Bill | September 13, 2012 10:14 AM Congrats VVD..... By Anna Baars | September 13, 2012 10:18 AM Excellent result that hopefully will see the 2 big parties bringing the right balance to the government. AND how sweet to Wilders lose so many seats. By Peter Alt | September 13, 2012 11:12 AM I'm glad to see that PVV have failed to meet their expectations. As someone pointed below, i have regained some respect for the Dutch people. There's no place in the Netherlands for right wing nuts!Geert Wilders is a hypocritical moron and should be a taught a thing or two about tolerance and brotherly love. And this is coming from an atheist. I think we all must learn to get along and work together to solve our problems instead of wasting time finding a culprit. Wilders is trying to use the "scapegoat" approach.... as did Hitler. By Daniel | September 13, 2012 12:00 PM Netheland has lose a big opportunity to change european situation... but they were cowered at the last minute. Es ist Schade.. By Student | September 13, 2012 12:03 PM thank you very much DN for keeping us informed and aware of what is happening in this country. I too use this site to keep abreast of what is going on in my new country. By Dee | September 13, 2012 12:06 PM Looking forward to more pension cuts & austerity measures ... don't complain on here when it happens ... you voted for it! By Boris | September 13, 2012 12:44 PM 57% of Supports Ditched Israelifirster Geert Welders. Dropping PVV Party from second to fourth losing 9 seats in Dutch Parliament. Geert Welders kissed Dutch Pm job goodbye for life. What an asshole. Geert Welders pulled Anti-Europe Stunt and crushed Mark Rutte Government Daydreaming to UHAUL all those Fuckn’ Unemployable Israeli Settlers Scumbags into Holland to take away Dutch Muslims Jobs. Congrats. Geert! Now you are free and on your own. Your Israeli master ain’t gonna blackmail you no mo. Anti-Immigration my ass. By Obaid Karki | September 13, 2012 12:51 PM Now the fun starts: which policies and principles are the two parties willing to 'give up' as part of coalition negotiations? @Col, the wietpas doesn't even figure in the average Dutch resident's list of priorities. Oh, and Student, we don't speak German here - what you meant was 'Wat Jammer'. By osita | September 13, 2012 12:52 PM Nothing fills me with confidence like a left-right coalition. I'm long on ballot papers. By Dr Ponzi | September 13, 2012 1:17 PM If the VVD doesn't satisfy ( and it won't ), then Geert will be back next time By Jaap Op 't Hof | September 13, 2012 1:50 PM Massive win? MASSIVE win? Either the author speaks poor english or thinks we're poor-minded. By Ugh | September 13, 2012 2:10 PM Any numbers of how many votes came from Dutch Nationalities living abroad? By expat | September 13, 2012 4:17 PM WHY do you say a massive win for VVD .When this is not true .Please tell the truth . I will not believe your news reports in the future , You are obviously bias, Labour has the same great winning . and are neck and neck with vvd, By JAMES JOYSE | September 13, 2012 9:38 PM Can someone explain the math that makes the 15 seats of PVV beat the 15 seats of the SP? The other article (not accepting comments) really showed it as a % difference too. Funny math... By poet | September 14, 2012 9:34 AM @poet, because in absolute numbers more people voted for PVV then for SP. However the difference was too small for a difference in the number of seats. 946.557 voted PVV. 904.496 voted SP. By pepe | September 14, 2012 10:13 AM I'm afraid I may have to eat some of the words of my comment here at the top (don't like the taste of my own words!) but after watching Rutte talk about working together with Samson last night on the NOS, I was VERY impressed, very impressed. If these 2 can 'get along' and make the necessary compromises, then we could have a stable 4 year cabinet. I also think they need each other for good balance, both the VVD and the PvDA's programs are too extreme. water with the wine, let's hope for the best! By Bill | September 14, 2012 1:28 PM "Crisis" is the magical word that turns an awkward right&left coalition into something magically advisable. Time will tell, still I'm a bit perplexed. By Bruno | September 14, 2012 4:55 PM @ Bill, I agree the VVD & PvdA need to work together. It's time for a National government to get us out of this mess. By Donaugh | September 14, 2012 5:19 PM
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this result is just about exactly what was predicted, so no real surpries. shame that the VVD has won again, in my opinion. golly gee, sorry to point out the BIG pink elephant in the corner that no one wants to see but didn't Rutte's current cabinet - the one he himself chose - just collapse? and then the Dutch elect the VVD as the biggest party - again? hmmmm I wonder what will happen - again? 7 elections in the last 15 years. but let's all be happy today and pretend that all of NL's problems have been solved!! yippee!
By Bill | September 13, 2012 7:01 AM