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Dutch PM Rutte's VVD comes out on top
 [DW] Dutch PM Rutte has claimed victory in elections in the Netherlands that saw his party beat out far-right challenger Wilders. Some see the Dutch poll as a litmus test for populists ahead of French and German elections.
- Prime Minister Mark Rutte's center-right VVD party has fended off populist leader Geert Wilders in parliamentary elections that have garnered international attention.
- With over 90 percent of the vote counted Thursday morning, Rutte has clearly won the largest share of seats. The VVD are predicted to gain 33 seats, followed by Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) in second with 20 seats. The Christian Democrats (CDA) and the D66 emerged in a two-way tie for third with 19 seats each. The Green-Left significantly boosted their representation by winning 14 seats. The social democratic Labor Party (PvdA) suffered a massive loss of seats, leaving them with only nine.
- Various other smaller parties also captured single-digit seat counts.
- Six main parties will enter parliament: the ruling VVD, Wilder's PVV, the centrist D66, Green-Left, the Socialist Party and the PvdA.
| There's a cute little bar graph at the link showing the vote distribution and changes since last time, done in colours designed to frustrate the partially colour blind. It seems to me that though Mr. Wilders did not do as well as hoped, he did pretty well for having essentially stopped campaigning a few weeks ago on security concerns. His one-member party is well positioned to play the loyal opposition. |
| Opposition he'll be, too, since all the other major parties have said that they won't allow Wilders into any coalition government. Usually the second place party is part of a governing Euro coalition government, but Wilders apparently is ucky. |
Posted by: trailing wife 2017-03-16 |
