Wednesday

4th Oct 2023

Wilders' party suffers blow, according to exit poll

  • The official result will be announced on Sunday evening (May 25) (Photo: zoetnet)

The pro-European D66 and the Christian-Democrat CDA parties appear to be the winners of the elections in the Netherlands for the European Parliament. Meanwhile, Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom party (PVV) lost almost 5 percent of its votes compared to 2009, according to an exit poll by Ipsos, published on Thursday evening (May 22).

The poll has the D66 and CDA taking 15.6 percent and 15.2 percent respectively, with the Liberal VVD party of prime minister of Mark Rutte set to claim 12.3 percent, fractionally ahead of the PVV on 12.2 percent of the vote.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The official result will be announced on Sunday evening (May 25). The exit poll predicts that ten parties have gained enough votes to win one seat or more. With only 26 Dutch seats to be divided, the shift of a percentage point from one party to another between the exit poll and the actual result could mean the difference between a winner and a loser.

Voter turnout was 35 percent according to Ipsos, which is slightly under 2009's turnout of 36.8 percent.

If the exit polls are correct, CDA and D66 will each win 4 seats. Labour and Liberal, the two parties supporting the current coalition government, will take 3 seats each, as will the Socialist Party and PVV.

The combined Christian party ChristianUnion-SGP have won 2 seats, as well as GreenLeft. Two parties are set to enter the European Parliament for the first time: the party for the elderly 50PLUS and the animal rights party Party for the Animals.

Pollster Maurice de Hond, who had asked volunteers to report the results from their local polling station, predicts the same distribution of seats.

On Thursday evening, D66 and CDA politicians were happy to celebrate their success.

The leader of D66 in the national parliament, Alexander Pechtold, said in a speech that “the Netherlands has convincingly chosen for Europe”.

Although CDA might lose a seat in the European Parliament compared to the 2009 result, the party is satisfied with the initial indications, after national elections 2010 and 2012 when it did poorly.

“It will be very tense until Sunday, but this already is a great result, to be in the running to be the biggest party in the Netherlands”, said Sybrand van Haersma Buma.

“The exit polls are disappointing”, said PVV leader Geert Wilders in a speech. But exit polls are only based on how voters say they voted, not on what their actual votes were.

Wilders blamed the low voter turnout for the apparent poor showing of his party – even though turnout appears to be only a percentage point or so lower than last time. “The Netherlands has not become more europhile because two out of three Dutch have stayed at home.”

Dutch euroscepticism moves mainstream

Dutch voters critical of the European Union will have an array of parties to choose from when they go to the polls in next month's EU elections.

Wilders says he wants to take up EP seat

Geert Wilders has said he has started a legal procedure to take up his seat in the European Parliament without having to give up his seat in the Dutch national parliament.

Dutch PM misses EU summit to save coalition

Dutch PM Mark Rutte has asked his Luxembourgian colleague Xavier Bettel to take his place at the EU summit in Brussels as he battles to save his government in the Netherlands.

Analysis

Slovak's 'illiberal' Fico victory boosts Orbán, but faces checks

Fico has the potential to shift Slovakia from the West and jeopardise the EU unity in its stance against Russia's Ukraine war. His victory could also have a domino effect in central Europe and empower of other far-right, populist movements.

Opinion

Why EU Commission dumped Google's favourite consultant

This should be a wake-up call to ensure consultancy firms with a vested interest are permanently excluded from public tenders. The close relationship between the EU's competition authority and economic consultants poses a serious risk to its independence.

Latest News

  1. EU demands 'full clarity' from Warsaw on visa-scandal
  2. EU reveals 10 'critical tech' in bid to de-risk from China
  3. EU Commission at a loss over latest snub from Tunisia
  4. Northern Europe — the new Nato/Russia frontline
  5. The EU-Kenya free trade deal shows a waning 'Brussels effect'
  6. Hoekstra pledges to phase-out fossil fuel subsidies
  7. 10 years on from the Lampedusa shipwreck — what's changed?
  8. EU ministers go to Kyiv to downplay fears on US, Slovak aid

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  2. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us