Elections in Netherlands: who is the prime minister elected and what does it mean for the European democracies.

The Netherlands is often viewed as a political snapshot of the rest of Europe, balancing opposing ideas from both the right and the left. The snap general election held on October 29, 2025, showed that this balance remains fragile yet resilient, delivering a historic victory for the center-left — and a clear triumph for the pro-European center.

The Dutch political compass: A system of proportionality

The Netherlands operates as a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means that the monarch, currently King Willem-Alexander, is the official Head of State, with a largely ceremonial and unifying role. However, the “real” power lies within the scope of the Prime Minister (PM), who is the head of government and must command a majority in the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer).

The most distinguishing feature of the Dutch system is its near-perfect proportional representation. With only 150 seats, the threshold for winning one is exceptionally low—about 0.67% of the national vote. When compared with other parliamentary monarchies such as the UK, Spain, or Sweden, the Dutch system stands out for its high degree of proportionality, which leads to a far more fragmented multi-party landscape. In contrast, the UK’s “First-Past-The-Post” system—also known as a plurality method, a winner-takes-all electoral system used primarily in single-member constituencies—typically produces two dominant parties.

This fragmentation, which so clearly distinguishes the Dutch system from other European ones, makes coalition formation—the process through which two or more parties negotiate a shared program to secure the 76-seat majority—a long and complex undertaking, and a defining feature of Dutch politics.

Why the Dutch went to the polls: A crisis of confidence

The October 2025 election was a snap election, meaning it was held ahead of the regular four-year schedule. The trigger was the collapse of the previous four-party, right-wing coalition government, led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof—a non-partisan figure nominated after the 2023 election.

The government, which included the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) and the conservative-liberal VVD, collapsed in June 2025 due to irreconcilable differences over migration policy. The main sticking point was the PVV’s demand for a complete halt to asylum applications—a stance deemed unconstitutional and unworkable by its coalition partners.

This breakdown, following years of similar political deadlocks, underscored the deeply divisive nature of the immigration debate in the Netherlands.

The main contenders in the past election: A true battle between ideologies

The election presented voters with a clear choice between three major blocs, each offering a different path for a nation grappling with a housing shortage, climate goals, and high inflation:

• Democrats 66 (D66), led by Rob Jetten. A social-liberal, pro-European, center party, D66 is strongly supportive of the European Union and places special emphasis on climate investment—particularly relevant given that Jetten served as Minister for Climate and Energy Policy from 2022 to 2024. Its platform focused on addressing the housing crisis and promoting pro-business innovation. The party campaigned on an optimistic “It can be done” message.

• Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders. Defined as a far-right, anti-immigration party, the PVV previously led a short-lived and chaotic right-wing cabinet. Its platform centers on an anti-Islam, anti-EU stance and a complete crackdown on immigration. It was the largest party in the 2023 election.

• The People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), headed by Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius. A conservative-liberal or center-right party, and the political home of long-time former Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the VVD campaigned on continuing right-wing governance, reducing taxes, and adopting stricter migration policies.

• GroenLinks–PvdA (GL-PvdA), led by Frans Timmermans. A joint list of Labour and the Green Party, GL-PvdA is a center-left, social-democratic/green alliance. Led by a former EU Commissioner, its platform focused on strengthening the social safety net, combating inequality, and advancing ambitious climate action.

However, the most prominent candidates competing for the position of Prime Minister were Rob Jetten (D66) and Geert Wilders (PVV), whose rivalry framed the election as a choice between a liberal, pro-European future and a nationalist, anti-immigrant one.

Rob Jetten (D66)

Rob Jetten, the leader of D66 since 2023, is a social-liberal and progressive politician who became the youngest person to hold the position at age 31. Following his party’s razor-thin victory in the election, he emerged as the presumptive Prime Minister. His political stance led him to be described as “the anti-Wilders”, running an optimistic, positive, and constructive campaign.

D66 is strongly pro-EU and a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). Jetten’s campaign prioritized addressing the housing shortage, investing in education and innovation, tackling climate change, and promoting stronger European cooperation. The party also has a history of supporting culturally liberal reforms, including the legalization of euthanasia and same-sex marriage. D66 achieved its best-ever result in a general election, nearly tripling its number of seats.

Jetten, now 38, is set to become the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay Prime Minister.

Geert Wilders (PVV)

On the other side stood Geert Wilders, a nationalist far-right politician and the founder and leader of the PVV since 2006. He is known for his right-wing populism, anti-immigration and anti-Islam positions, and Euroscepticism. The core of the PVV’s ideology rests on anti-Islam and nationalist pillars. Wilders’ key proposals included denying all asylum requests—a measure that would violate EU treaties—and financing energy and healthcare by halting development aid.

He remains one of Europe’s longest-serving populist leaders. Although the PVV lost seats compared to its 2023 record, it still tied with D66 for the most seats (26), marking its second-highest score ever and confirming Wilders’ enduring influence. However, major mainstream parties have publicly ruled out forming a coalition with him, especially after his hardline migration demands contributed to the previous government’s collapse.

The close tie between these two ideologically opposed parties—each winning 26 seats—clearly illustrates the deep political polarization currently gripping the Netherlands.

Jetten’s unexpected surge was widely viewed as a decisive pushback against the far-right populism that dominated the previous administration.

The New Prime Minister and European Significance.

Rob Jetten is currently making history as the Netherlands’ youngest-ever and first openly gay Prime Minister. His fiancé is Nicolás Keenan, an Argentine Olympian—an interesting personal detail that mirrors the situation of King Willem-Alexander, whose wife, Queen Máxima, is also Argentine-born.

Jetten’s victory represents a significant win for the European Union.

A vocal pro-European who has long advocated for deeper cooperation on security and climate, his premiership signals the Netherlands’ return to a more constructive and prominent role in Brussels, moving away from the nationalist skepticism of the previous government. This shift is particularly relevant given recent EU-level discussions on recognizing same-sex marriages across all member states.

While the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001, Jetten’s election reinforces the nation’s commitment to the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and its support for the emerging normative trend that marriages legally performed in one EU country should be automatically recognized in all others.

Due to the nature of the highly proportional Dutch electoral system, the formation of the cabinet will inevitably be a lengthy and delicate process of inter-party compromise.

The Netherlands has a long tradition of extended coalition negotiations—the most recent took 299 days—and despite D66’s victory, Jetten must still secure the 76-seat majority in the 150-seat parliament by negotiating with multiple partners.

Jetten is committed to seeking a broad, centrist coalition to restore stability after the chaotic collapse of the previous government. The most frequently cited—and arguably most stable—path forward involves a four-party alliance bringing together D66 (social-liberal), the VVD (conservative-liberal), the GroenLinks–PvdA joint list (social-democratic/green-left), and the resurgent Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). Such a constellation would command a comfortable majority of 86 seats, but bridging the ideological divide—particularly between the center-right VVD and the center-left GL-PvdA—will require considerable political dexterity. The VVD, for instance, has been hesitant to form a coalition with left-leaning parties, preferring a more right-leaning partnership.

The immediate future of the Netherlands is therefore defined by two intertwined expectations: first, a long and challenging negotiation phase led by appointed informateurs and scouts tasked with mediating between the disparate parties; and second, the subsequent formation of a government that is likely to prioritize stability, stronger European cooperation, and an active, progressive approach to pressing domestic issues such as the housing crisis and urgent climate policy implementation.

If formed, such a government would mark a significant shift away from the nationalist orientation of recent years, signaling the Netherlands’ return to a constructive and leading role on the international stage.