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Home , Geert Wilders, Jesse Klaver, Lodewijk Asscher, Mark Rutte

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Thursday, March 16 2017 2017 General Election

Stability key HIGHLIGHTS ‘This was a festival for democracy Four parties needed for a today... It was also an evening Big cities where the Netherlands, after Brexit new Dutch government The decline of the Labour party is and the American elections, has particularly marked in its strong- said ‘whoa’ to the wrong sort of hold big cities. In , for . Now it’s important to example, GroenLinks is now the bring our country together and biggest party, followed by D66 and form a stable government,’ said the VVD. VVD leader and prime minister in his victory speech. New parties Denk, the new party formed by Willing to rule two ex-Labour MPs of Turkish ‘Rutte is far from rid of me,’ said origin, has overtaken the PvdA in after the initial both and votes were in. ‘I want to be part and is bigger than the PVV in of government but if that doesn’t Amsterdam, with 7.5% of the vote. happen, we still have more MPs in VVD leader Mark Rutte prepares to address supporters. Photo Phil Nijhuis /HH The party has three seats in the a growing party.’ new look parliament. The anti-EU Prime minister Mark Rutte claimed The VVD’s nearest rival, Geert Forum voor Democratie, part of Bitter evening victory in the Dutch general election Wilders and the PVV, polled 20 the Ukraine referendum campaign, ‘This is a bitter evening for the on Wednesday night and with 33 seats, or 13.3% of the vote, in what will have two seats. Labour party,’ said Labour leader seats in the 150 seat lower house is being seen as a major blow to the . ‘The result is of parliament, is set to begin a third rise of European populism. Never- PVV strongholds unbelievably disappointing. A lot term as prime minister. theless, this is an increase on his The PVV, which did not make the of voters have chosen to give their Nevertheless, the highly-fragmen- vote in 2012, when Wilders scored breakthrough many expected, was trust to another party, and we have ted nature of the results means 15 seats. The Christian Democrats the biggest party in a handful of to respect that.’ four parties will be needed to form and D66 both won 19 seats while local authority areas, largely in the a new coalition government with the big winner of the night was east of Groningen and Drenthe, ‘Fantastic result’ majority support in parliament. If GroenLinks, whose galvanising and in the south, where Wilders ‘We led an extraordinary campaign, the VVD presses ahead to try and leader helped propel comes from. In particular, the PVV and I’m very happy with the result. form a government with the CDA the party from four to 14 seats. emerged as the biggest party in I think more young people than and D66, ChristenUnie would a The VVD may remain the biggest Maastricht and . ever went to the polls. We won logical partner, commentators said party, but its support is down eight more seats than we’ve ever had on Thursday morning. However, seats on 2012, reflecting some voter Europe relieved in the parliament. It’s a historic the combination would only have unhappiness at the performance of German chancellor evening,’ said GroenLinks leader a majority of one, and that would the current coalition. The big blow, was one of the first foreign leaders Jesse Klaver. make the coalition vulnerable. however, was to coalition partner to contact Mark Rutte after the 35 Labour (PvdA), which saw support vote. ‘Germany is looking forward plummet from 38 to just nine seats, to further close cooperation as Rise to the challenge 30 CDA leader Sybrand Buma says or seventh place. In total, 13 parties friends, neighbours and Europe- that a major task awaits. ‘The 25 have won seats in parliament. ans,’ her spokesman said. Netherlands has concerns, and 20 Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni said the Dutch want an answer to these on Twitter: ‘The anti-European 15 PvdA concerns. The CDA will rise up to right has lost in the Netherlands. A

CU PvdD 10 50+ SGP Denk the challenge. We will answer the FvD communal effort is now needed to VVD PVV CDA D SP GL great trust that the Netherlands has 5 change and revitalise the EU.’ placed in us.’ 0

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Time for unity The Netherlands is ‘normal’: Dutch papers There has been unprecedented A beaming Mark Rutte features on international media attention the front page of all the Dutch pa- focused on the Netherlands for pers on Thursday morning, with the the general election. Would the exception of Trouw, which carries a Netherlands do the unthinkable dejected Lodewijk Asscher. and make a far-right populist ‘The centre wins’ the NRC head- who wants to close mosques the lines its election result analysis. leader of the biggest party? After ‘The Netherlands has woken up ‘a last night’s results, the answer normal country’, in the words of is clear. Geert Wilders’ PVV has VVD leader Mark Rutte,’ the paper made gains, but is still well be- writes. There has been no ‘populist low its 2010 popularity. Wilders revolt’, only a ‘couple of hammer is one of the longest serving blows’. The NRC detects a clear MPs in the Dutch parliament and trend: the centre dominates. ‘The has become part of the furniture. Netherlands remains what it has So this vote cannot be seen as a essentially been for decades: ma- many a pessimist had predicted.’ wer seats than the polls suggested.’ sign that populism has suddenly ny-faceted and largely moderate.’ The Netherlands is a right-wing The Telegraaf headlines its editorial taken hold. ‘The Dutch domino tile hasn’t country this morning, with the VVD ‘trust’. Much has been said about tumbled’ the Financieele Dagblad as the undisputed winner’, Trouw’s the gulf between politicians and Nevertheless, we should not writes in its editorial. It appears headline reads. Nevertheless, ‘the the population but the high turnout underestimate Wilders’ influence most voters weren’t led by anger Netherlands has shown itself once showed that the Dutch are still on the other parties - particu- and although Labour was severely again to be a country in which mo- closely involved in government. It larly the VVD and CDA, both of punished and the VVD won fewer deration is key. ‘Our society is not is now crucial that political leaders which have developed a nice seats compared to 2012 the ‘dis- open to extremism. The PVV and its do not abuse that trust, the paper line in semi-Wilders rhetoric. If content is much less prevalent than hostility to the system gained far fe- concludes. you don’t ‘do normal’, bugger off, says VVD leader and prime advertisement WHAT HAPPENS NOW? minister Mark Rutte, while CDA leader Sybrand Buma decides Although the new 150 MPs will on the last day of the campaign not take their seats until next to launch an attack on dual week, behind the scenes the nationality that even embroils the VVD will immediately begin Argentine queen. sounding out likely verkenners - the person charged with putting But now the campaign is over, together a tentative coalition. the posturing can be put on The verkenner, a senior state- hold. With the dust settling ment, talks to the party leaders on the results, the real work about potential coalitions and can begin... putting together a will then probably report back to workable coalition to run the parliament. country for the next five years. It will be no easy task. Although a Once a potential coalition has right-leaning government made been identified, the verkenner up of four parties looks most will appoint a . likely, there are major divisions between them and it could take The formateur (usually the next months to form a new cabinet. prime minister) does the nitty As voters prepare to go the gritty job of putting together a polls in France and Germany, coalition agreement, or regeer- the Netherlands has shown the akkoord, in which the broad lines rest of Europe that a party which of the new government’s policies only appeals to anti-immigrant are set down. It is a process of sentiment does not have to have political horse-trading which the upper hand. Consensus and usually takes months and is compromise are now key. The likely to be particularly protrac- election is over, the foreign press ted this year because so many can go home and the Dutch can parties - at least four - are going start working together again. to be involved. The longest cabinet formation took 208 days, Robin Pascoe, editor DutchNews.nl the shortest just 10.

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