The Netherlands moves to the right but a coalition will be tricky

The Dutch political climate shifted to the right on Wednesday, with major gains for Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam PVV party and the right-wing Liberals in the general election.

By 00.30 hours, just 20% of the votes had been counted.
The final results are not expected until the early hours of Thursday morning, but the exit poll gives both the right-wing Liberals (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) 31 seats – a gain of nine for the VVD and a loss of two for Labour.
The poll also indicates that Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration PVV will win 22 seats, well above opinion poll forecasts. The PVV had nine seats in the last parliament.
VVD leader Mark Rutte told a jubilant crowd of supporters that it was ‘a fantastic evening’.
‘We are the party for everyone who wants to make something of their lives,’ Rutte said, before congratulating first Geert Wilders’ PVV and then the other winning parties.

Problems ahead
Meanwhile, Labour leader Job Cohen, former mayor of Amsterdam, told supporters he would do all he could to make sure the Netherlands continues to be a social and decent country.
The definitive exit poll shows it will be difficult to form a new coalition, with the three right-wing parties failing to win a majority of seats in the 150 seat parliament and needing the support of the fundamentalist Christians if they are to take control.
Balkenende quits
Outgoing prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende resigned as leader of the Christian Democrats following the exit poll results which indicated that his party’s support was halved to 21 seats.
In an emotional address on Wednesday night, Balkenende thanked party workers and supporters for the trust they have shown him in his eight years as prime minister.
Wednesday’s results are ‘very, very disappointing’ and the results are ‘clear’, he said. ‘I have to take responsibility,’ he said.
Wilders ready
A jubilant PVV leader Geert Wilders told Nos tv he hopes the party will be able to join a coalition government. ‘We are the big winner and they cannot ignore us. We want to be taken seriously,’ he said.
Nevertheless, it will be difficult to form a government including the PVV. Most parties, including Labour and the other two big winners, D66 and GroenLinks, have already said they will not link up with Wilders.
Muslim groups told news agency ANP they are concerned about the rise of the PVV. ‘We respect this democratic outcome but throwing mud at a particular group does not contribute to a harmonious society,’ Driss El Boujoufi of the Moroccan Muslim organisation UMMON said.

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