The Netherlands swung to the right today with its VVD party claiming victory in national elections.
“It appears as if for the first time in our history the VVD has become the largest party,” would-be prime minister Mark Rutte told chanting supporters.
With 96.5 per cent of votes counted, Mr Rutte’s party led Labour by 31 seats to 30 in the 150-seat parliament, a result that spelled weeks and possibly months of haggling between the two to fashion a ruling coalition.
Voters also gave a major boost to the anti-Islam Freedom Party of Geert Wilders, which scored its best-ever finish with 24 seats.
The Netherlands’ governing Christian Democrats suffered a humiliating defeat, dropping to 21 seats - nearly half its current strength - and Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende told supporters he was leaving politics. He will remain caretaker premier until a new cabinet is installed.
The race between VVD and Labour was so tight that party leaders cancelled their traditional post-election debate, saying they could not discuss the results until they were sure what they were. Returns from the 12 million eligible voters were expected through the night, and the official results won’t be declared until June 15th, when all votes from overseas have also been counted.
“It’s very exciting. But the real result is still to come, and it could go either way,” said Labour Party leader Job Cohen, the former mayor of Amsterdam who is the other main candidate to become prime minister.
Under the Dutch constitution, party leaders will next visit Queen Beatrix to inform her of their coalition preferences - the start of a long negotiating process.
Neither of the top parties will be able to form a government without major comprises on ideology.
The most likely outcome appears to be a centrist coalition with VVD and Labour combining with two smaller parties on the left, the Green-Left and Democrats-66.
In theory Mr Wilders and his Freedom Party could play a role, but his polarising stances have made him unsavoury to other parties. He is under hate speech prosecution for comparing Islam to Nazism and calling for a ban on the Koran.
He took major gains in municipal elections earlier this year with ideas such a tax on headscarves worn by Muslim women. But his popularity faded slightly ahead of the elections as he was unable to deliver that promise and attention shifted to the European financial crisis.
Mr Wilders said he was willing to accept compromises in order to enter a Cabinet.
Other parties may try “to shove us aside, but we must be taken seriously,” he said, noting that his party had made the largest gains.
Altogether, 10 parties will be represented in parliament, continuing a trend toward greater fragmentation.
Pre-election polls had shown the VVD holding a commanding lead, with Labour a distant second.
The VVD has pledged to slash the deficit by cutting government spending and welfare programs. Labour has criticised the program as harmful to the poor.
Although not as outspoken against immigration as Wilders, Mr Rutte has also argued that immigrants who cannot contribute to the Dutch economy should not be allowed to enter, and he would ban them from receiving welfare for 10 years after arrival.
AP