D66 Edges PVV; Jetten Poised as PM

Rob Jetten, 38, leader of centrist‑liberal D66, is poised to become the Netherlands’ next prime minister — potentially the youngest and the country’s first openly gay leader — after D66 surged to win the most votes in the general election, narrowly edging Geert Wilders’ PVV. With nearly all ballots tallied, D66 secured roughly 26–27 seats (about 18% of the vote), a roughly threefold increase for the party, while the PVV fell back, producing a close result that may delay government formation. Final certification still awaits mail‑in ballots from Dutch citizens abroad, but D66 is expected to lead initial coalition talks and will need at least three partners to command a majority in the 150‑seat lower house. Most mainstream parties have ruled out governing with the PVV, improving Jetten’s path to power despite Wilders’ threats to contest the process. Jetten ran on an upbeat, pro‑EU, pro‑climate and housing agenda and framed the result as a rebuke to populism.