In the Dutch snap elections, 99.7% of votes have been counted, revealing that the anti-immigration party, Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, is tied with the progressive party, Democrats 66 (D66).
Frans Timmermans, leader of the Green-Left coalition consisting of the Green Party (GL) and the Labour Party (PvDa), resigned after his party received only 12% of the vote. Timmermans has been a prominent figure in climate policy and a strong advocate for immigration in the Netherlands. He served as Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014 to 2019 and was later appointed as the European Commissioner for Climate Action from 2019 to 2023 by Ursula von der Leyen.
During his tenure, Timmermans was instrumental in drafting the EU"s Green Deal and establishing conditions for post-COVID economic recovery that required member states to transition away from fossil fuels. He also supported mandatory migrant quotas during the 2015 migrant crisis, which led to tensions with Hungary and Poland when they refused to comply.
While the PVV lost some seats in the recent elections, other right-wing parties, including JA21 and the Forum for Democracy (FvD) led by Thierry Baudet, gained seats, reinforcing right-wing representation in the Dutch Parliament. Collectively, Dutch right-wing parties now hold 42 seats, an increase from 41 seats in 2023.
