After months of tight-lipped talks, the Netherlands’ new minority government unveiled a blueprint for the country’s future on Friday, promising to move beyond political squabbling and return to the long-standing Dutch tradition of consensus politics. The 67-page coalition agreement laid out a series of ambitious goals to be spearheaded by Rob Jetten and his liberal D66 party alongside his coalition partners — the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). “Today we’re embarking on a new course,” Jetten, told journalists in The Hague on Friday, promising “real breakthroughs.” Jetten, at age 38, is set to become the youngest Dutch prime minister. Those hoping for a dramatic shift after years of right-wing politics, however, could be disappointed. “Ultimately, we see relatively little of D66’s progressive agenda reflected in the agreement,” said Sarah de Lange, a professor of Dutch politics at Leiden University, pointing to the program’s emphasis on higher defense budgets and deregulation at the expense of social spending.  Here are five things you need to know about what Jetten’s government has in store: 1. IT WANTS US TO BELIEVE IN POLITICS AGAIN The new government is keen to signal it is making a clean break from years of political paralysis, rolling out its new Cabinet slogan: “Let’s get to work!” The not-so-subtle message here is that the three coalition members want to show they are serious about delivering on tackling the country’s main challenges, ushering in the end of an era of polarization and political clashes and returning full-force to the Netherlands’ long-standing tradition of compromise politics. After the conflict-ridden and gloomy-toned Schoof government, expect a “yes-we-can” vibe from The Hague.  2. IT’S SPLURGING ON … — Defense, allocating an extra €19 billion to meet the new NATO spending target of 5 percent of gross domestic product — 3.5 percent on core military expenditure and 1.5 percent on defense-related areas — and to facilitate the country’s transition from being a “peace dividend to combat power.” “The Netherlands is at the forefront of building a European pillar within NATO,” the coalition document reads.  — Solving the Netherlands’ housing crisis and phasing out nitrogen emissions through buyouts will also require large investments. Planned cuts to education and international aid will be put in the freezer — a win for the D66, for whose electorate those are core concerns. … AT THE EXPENSE OF …  — Social spending will take a big hit, with Dutch citizens expected to shoulder more of the burden for health costs.  “We’re preventing a huge explosion of the health care budget, which creates room to invest in defense and national security,” Jetten explained on Friday.   — The coalition document also stipulates a “freedom contribution,” a tax of about €184 per citizen per year which is meant to raise some €3.4 billion toward defense.  3. IT WILL STAY FIRM ON MIGRATION The previous government fell over migration, which remained a major campaign issue in the run-up to the election. Jetten positioned himself as the antithesis to far-right firebrand Geert Wilders, whose Party for Freedom has long claimed the topic. In the coalition text, the new government walks the tightrope of promising a strict immigration policy while trying not to echo Wilders too closely and alienate more progressive voters. The plan singles out the EU’s migration reforms, including its plans to bolster deportations, as a “first big step toward gaining more control over who comes to the Netherlands.” The Dutch government will take a leading role in pushing for changes to international refugee law, including by hosting an asylum summit, according to the program.  But the text also states that the Netherlands will take a stance in EU talks about return and transit hubs to make sure that migrants are never sent to countries where they risk persecution, and put on hold a controversial deal with Uganda to use the African country as a transit point for rejected asylum seekers. 4. IT’S RETURNING TO BRUSSELS’ EMBRACE  After a Euroskeptic tilt under the last Dutch government, Jetten is bringing the Netherlands back on a Brussels course, arguing for closer cooperation. That applies to defense, with the agreement setting a goal of 40 percent of procurement to be carried out “jointly with European partners,” as well as to migration.  Still, the new government remains loyal to the Netherlands’ reputation as one of the frugals, rejecting eurobonds. “Member states are primarily responsible for their own budgets,” the document reads.  The country will also continue to support Ukraine militarily and financially and push to use Russian frozen assets, according to the agreement.  When it comes to the United States, the program struck a stricter tone, pledging to “speak out when their actions undermine our values and interests, always with an eye to maintaining the relationship and preserving critical security interests.”  5. NONE OF THIS IS EVEN REMOTELY A DONE DEAL Perhaps the most important thing to know is that all of the above should be taken with a massive grain of salt. Over the past weeks, the three coalition parties have made a show of presenting a united front. But internal cohesion is by no means a guarantee of success.  In Dutch parliament, the three parties combined only have 66 out of 150 seats. In the Netherlands’ upper chamber they hold 22 out of 75 seats.  That means that the coalition will need to seek external support for every separate issue. Considering that the two largest opposition parties — the leftist GreenLeft-Labor alliance (GL-PvdA) and far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) — hold diametrically opposed views, that is a recipe for political acrobatics. In Jetten’s words: “This will be a cooperation government.”  In practice, Leiden University’s de Lange said, the framework laid out in the coalition agreement already hints the government will have to swerve even further to the right. “When you look at the plans that are on the table right now as a whole, it looks more likely that the decisive support will come from the far right,” de Lange said. “GL-PvdA has said from the beginning that they would not agree with funding defense by cutting social spending.” WHAT’S NEXT?  The Dutch parliament is expected to discuss the coalition agreement on Tuesday. That will be a first bellwether of the mood within various opposition parties and their willingness to help Jetten make good on his promise of getting things done. The divvying up of ministries and Cabinet posts is the next big step. If all goes well, the final team will line up on the steps of the Dutch king’s palace for the traditional photo by late February.  And then the work can begin.

The leaders of three Dutch political parties said Tuesday they had agreed in principle to form a minority coalition government after months of negotiations.   The centrist D66 party, which took first place in last October’s election, the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) will join forces in a coalition that will only hold 66 seats in the Netherlands’ lower house of parliament, 10 seats short of a majority. Minority governments are rare in the Netherlands. D66’s leader, 38-year-old Rob Jetten, will be the youngest Dutch prime minister in history. He appeared alongside CDA and VVD’s leaders Tuesday night and said the three “still have a few final details” to iron out before their coalition agreement is formally presented Friday, but sounded an optimistic note.   “We’re really looking forward to getting started,” said Jetten. He added the new government’s priorities would be affordable housing, controlling migration and investing in defense. The Cabinet could be sworn in by the Dutch king by the end of February.  VVD’s leader, Dilan Yeşilgöz, who has previously served as a justice minister, said she hadn’t decided whether she will take a post in the new government.  October’s election saw D66 surge to victory, narrowly overtaking Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), which previously was the largest party in a coalition government marked by infighting. That coalition eventually collapsed after a dispute over asylum policy saw Wilders withdraw his party’s support. 

The Netherlands may soon have a minority government after the leaders of three political parties announced on Friday that they would continue coalition talks. At a joint press conference, the leaders of the centrist D66 party — the big winner of last October’s national election — along with the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the liberal VVD, said they would press ahead without other partners. That configuration sidelines JA21, a hard-right party that the VVD had expressed a desire to include, but whose views on climate, immigration and Europe were a tough sell for D66. If an agreement is reached, the three parties would together control just 66 seats in the Dutch parliament, 10 seats short of a majority, forcing the prospective coalition to seek outside support for individual proposals and legislation. Minority governments are unusual in the Netherlands and are seen as more vulnerable to collapse. Speaking on Friday, D66 leader Rob Jetten acknowledged that “it is going to be hard work,” but said he was confident the coalition could succeed.

The Dutch GreenLeft-Labor alliance has elected Jesse Klaver as its new leader to succeed Frans Timmermans after slumping to defeat in last week’s election. Timmermans resigned on election night immediately after exit polls put his party in fourth place with a loss of five seats — a major setback for a party that had been an election favorite ahead of the vote. “Sometimes, leadership means taking a step back,” Klaver, in a nod to his predecessor’s decision, said following his appointment Monday. “But sometimes you also have to take a step forward when the situation calls for it. That’s what I did today,” Klaver added, according to a local media report. Timmermans, a former European commissioner, quit Brussels politics in 2023 to return to the Dutch political scene and take the reins of the newly formed alliance between the GreenLeft and Labor parties. Klaver, who is 39, previously led the GreenLeft party and was Timmermans’ second-in-command over the past two years.  The centrist liberal D66 party is in pole position to form a new Dutch coalition after its narrow victory in the election. One possible coalition would include GreenLeft-Labor, as well as the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal and the conservative liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). That’s far from a done deal, however, as VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz had repeatedly ruled out governing with GreenLeft-Labor.

Catherine de Vries is Generali chair in European policies and professor at Bocconi University in Milan. Last week, Dutch voters rewarded the political center. The centrist-liberal D66 and center-right Christian Democratic Appeal benefited from a gowing appetite for stability, while the race for the largest party ended in a photo finish between D66 and Geert Wilders’s far-right Freedom Party. With no group receiving more than a fifth of the vote, upcoming coalition talks promise to be complicated, and a majority government before the holidays looks unlikely. As with so many recent elections across the continent, the EU was again the elephant in the room. Bloc-wide issues barely featured in the campaign ahead of the vote, yet the result could have far-reaching consequences for the Netherlands’ role in Brussels. What is already clear is that the Dutch electorate voted far more pro-European than it did in 2023. Indeed, it seems the Euroskepticism that once dominated the political mood has given way to a quiet mandate for cooperation and reform — an unmistakably pro-EU signal to The Hague. And if D66 leader Rob Jetten can succeed in becoming the party’s first prime minister, it would mark a decisive shift in the country’s policy toward the bloc. D66 has long been the most outspokenly pro-EU party across the Dutch political spectrum. Speaking to POLITICO after the election, Jetten argued that the Netherlands should use its veto power far less often and instead “say yes to cooperation more often.” “Europe risks stagnation if we fail to deepen integration. The Netherlands helped found the Union, now we should help shape its future,” he said. These words signal a clear break from the previous government of technocrat Dick Schoof, which had been largely invisible in Brussels. As Dutch broadcaster NOS recently reported, the country’s influence in the EU has “withered.” Or, as one senior EU diplomat bluntly put it: “No one listens to the Dutch anymore.” Schoof’s administration had begun with high expectations — exemptions on asylum, nitrogen and nature rules, and a lower contribution to the EU budget — but the reality in Brussels proved unforgiving. The Netherlands often found itself isolated, and its attempts to secure “opt-outs” were quietly abandoned. A Jetten premiership could reverse this pattern. Though similarly pragmatic, even Schoof’s predecessor Mark Rutte was ultimately cautious, wary of treaty reform and collective borrowing. But Jetten signals a readiness to go further, as D66 sees the Netherlands as a natural bridge-builder and a key player in European integration. Moreover, part of the Schoof government’s weakness was its lack of European experience. A technocrat without party backing, he struggled to build political capital in Brussels. Jetten, by contrast, is well-connected. Like Rutte, he belongs to Renew Europe group, the liberal alliance associated with French President Emmanuel Macron — a link that once amplified Dutch influence beyond its size. And if D66 leader Rob Jetten can succeed in becoming the party’s first prime minister, it would mark a decisive shift in the country’s policy toward the bloc. | Pierre Crom/Getty Images Of course, today even this network has become fragile. Macron’s domestic troubles have diminished his clout in Brussels, and with it, the gravitational pull of the liberal camp. Meanwhile, Brussels itself is more fragmented than ever. European politics has become a patchwork of competing national priorities, with southern members demanding more collective investment, northern countries — including the Netherlands — still preaching fiscal discipline, eastern members prioritizing defense and security, and western governments focused on industrial policy and competitiveness. Then, there are the external pressures to consider: The U.S. expects Europe to shoulder more of its own defense, while China is forcing the bloc to rethink its economic dependencies. In such a fragmented landscape, speaking with one European voice is hard enough — acting in unison is harder still. Ultimately, though, how the next Dutch government positions itself in this European maze, and Jetten’s ability to deliver, will largely depend on domestic politics and the coalition he can forge. The irony here is that if the center-left Green–Labor alliance or the Christian Democrats had emerged as the largest party, alignment with Europe’s dominant political currents might have been easier, finding natural allies in Spain’s Pedro Sánchez or German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. But with D66 securing less than 20 percent of the vote, Jetten will have to govern in a broad coalition that includes parties far less enthusiastic about Europe. Still, even a Jetten-led coalition could boost Dutch influence precisely because it would span multiple European party families at once. In Brussels, where informal networks often matter just as much as votes, that could give the Netherlands renewed diplomatic weight. Facing the strategic dilemma of reconciling domestic compromise with European ambition, Jetten’s political style — pragmatic, conciliatory and consensus-driven — may also prove to be an asset here. During election-night coverage, one journalist even called him “the new Rutte” due to their shared instinct for timing and coalition-building. But Jetten couples this with a much clearer European vision. In his post-election remarks to POLITICO, the D66 leader left little room for doubt: “Europe must evolve into a serious democratic world power, with the means and authority to do what citizens expect — protect our borders from Putin, grow our economy and safeguard the climate,” he said. For years now, Dutch politics have been oscillating between pragmatic euro-realism and latent Euroskepticism. But this election may finally signal the pendulum’s slow return toward a more pro-Europe center, rooted in the quiet understanding that the Netherlands and the EU rise and fall together.

The centrist liberal D66 party has won the Dutch election, according to the national press agency ANP. Rob Jetten’s D66 and Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) emerged as the equal largest in Wednesday’s election with 26 parliament seats each, but with almost all votes counted, ANP said Friday that D66 could not be caught for first place. It’s a narrow victory, with the party just 15,155 votes ahead of the PVV, with 99.7 percent counted. The result means Jetten is in pole position to piece together a coalition government — a right typically reserved for the largest party — and to become the Netherlands’ prime minister if he succeeds.  D66 and the PVV finished ahead of the center-right liberals of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which won 22 seats in Wednesday’s vote; the left-wing GreenLeft-Labor alliance, which secured 20 seats; and the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), which collected 18. Conservative JA21 is the largest of the smaller parties, with nine seats. Jetten has already made clear he sees the need for a broad coalition, as D66 is a “small large party” by Dutch standards, though caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof said Friday that the process won’t be quick. Forging a coalition could become tricky if it involves convincing the center-right VVD and the left-wing GreenLeft-Labor alliance to join the same government, after bitterly campaigning against one another. “Twenty-six seats after all, just like D66. Nobody beats the PVV. Absolutely nobody!” Wilders posted defiantly on X on Thursday. On Friday, he added that, “Whatever the outcome will be nationally, the PVV is once again the largest party in many provinces, including Limburg” — Wilders’ own province. His PVV was the largest party in the Netherlands’ previous coalition government. It was a Cabinet marked by infighting, which collapsed when Wilders withdrew his party over a dispute over asylum policy. The far-right firebrand has next to no chance of entering the next government as parties have ruled out joining forces with him. With the exception of the VVD, Wilders’ former coalition partners took a beating in Wednesday’s election: The populist Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) lost three of its seven seats; while the centrist New Social Contract was decimated, going from 20 seats in 2023 to zero now. This story has been updated.

Don’t expect a new Dutch government in time for the festive season, caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof said Friday. “I think I’ll still be prime minister by Christmas,” Schoof noted on his way into a Cabinet meeting. He said it will be “quite complicated” to form a new coalition, and that he’d be “surprised” if it were done before decorations go up. Centrist liberal Rob Jetten’s D66 party and Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) are still vying for first place as the final votes are counted following the national election on Wednesday. Both won 26 seats in the Netherlands’ 150-strong parliament, according to nearly complete results; while the conservative-liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) won 22, the left-wing GreenLeft-Labor (GL-PvdA) alliance got 20 and the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) snagged 18. The largest party typically gets the right to try to assemble a governing coalition first. Jetten’s D66 is slightly ahead of Wilders’ PVV with a margin of just 15,000 votes, with 99.7 percent counted nationally. Still, the results of the last municipality are due Friday, and the tally of an estimated 90,000 mail votes is expected Monday. Regardless of the outcome, Wilders has next to no chance of joining the next government, let alone leading it, as several parties have ruled out collaborating with his party. That means Jetten is the favorite to become the new prime minister. But VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz also repeatedly ruled out governing with GreenLeft-Labor in the run-up to the election, potentially complicating D66-led negotiations. With 26 seats, D66 would be an exceptionally small largest party in the government, and without GreenLeft-Labor, a future coalition would require five parties to reach a majority. That doesn’t have to be a problem, however, Schoof said, looking across the border for inspiration. “That’s what they have in Belgium, so it’s possible,” he said. The number of parties doesn’t matter, as long as you “agree on what you want to do, and then stick together and support each other,” he added. This week’s vote came just two years after the Netherlands’ previous election. Schoof’s government, a coalition of PVV with the VVD, the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), and the populist Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), was marked by infighting and collapsed within a year when Wilders withdrew his party over a dispute about asylum policy. NSC, with 20 seats, was one of the biggest winners in the 2023 election, but secured none in this week’s vote. Former party leader and founder Pieter Omtzigt left politics earlier this year. Other parties in the former government also lost seats, including Wilders’ PVV, which dropped 11 seats. Schoof acknowledged the parties in his government had been punished, while NSC “evaporated.” “I think people are unhappy with what’s been delivered, and about the fact that the Cabinet hasn’t managed to see things through,” he said.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music Is it enough to come first in an election? In the Netherlands, you hear that centrist Rob Jetten won big and Geert Wilders’ far right lost a lot — even though either one could still turn out to be No. 1 when all the votes are counted. Eva Hartog breaks down the results of the Dutch election with host Sarah Wheaton, and Max Griera reflects on what Frans Timmermans’ defeat means for social democrats all over Europe. Then, our Berlaymont Who’s Who series is back, with an introduction to Vice President of the European Commission Roxana Mînzatu of Romania. Finally, Shawn Pogatchnik takes us through last week’s Irish presidential election, which was, in contrast to the Dutch vote, a bright spot for the political left.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music Friedrich Merz und Julia Klöckner haben es angekündigt: 2027 soll zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik eine Bundespräsidentin gewählt werden. Doch wer könnte das sein? Gordon Repinski erklärt, wie sich die Union jetzt sortiert, warum Namen wie Karin Prien und Ilse Aigner kursieren und wieso Merz die Fehler der Merkel-Ära vermeiden will. Danach geht der Blick in die Niederlande: Dort erlebt der politische Liberalismus ein Comeback. Die Partei D66 landet nicht nur wie prognostiziert weit vorne, sondern gewinnt überraschend die Wahl. Angeführt wird sie von Rob Jetten, einem neuen Hoffnungsträger auch in der EU. Hans von der Burchard analysiert, wie die Niederlande das rechtspopulistische Experiment um Geert Wilders beenden und wie es jetzt weitergehen wird.  Im 200-Sekunden-Interview zieht Otto Fricke seine Lehren aus dem Wahlsieg der niederländischen Linksliberalen: Was die FDP in Deutschland von Rob Jetten lernen und umsetzen kann, bespricht er mit Gordon Repinski. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski.

After two years plagued by infighting and political paralysis, the Dutch tried to turn a page in Wednesday’s seismic election. But the country remains sharply divided: The parties finishing first and second, centrist liberal D66 and the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), are sworn enemies.  During his campaign, D66 leader Rob Jetten cast himself as a foil to PVV firebrand Geert Wilders. And Wilders has said he “basically disagrees with everything [Jetten] says.” Dutch convention has it that the largest party gets first shot at forming a coalition and its leader is favored to become prime minister. That looks like Jetten right now, especially as no one mainstream wants to team up with Wilders. But if talks fail, others can try — meaning the coming weeks remain unpredictable. Once the Heineken wears off, parties will have to decide who they’re willing to work in coalition with, to unravel the country’s complex issues of housing and nitrogen-pollution crises mixed with simmering anti-immigrant sentiment. But that’s for another day. For now, here are election night’s biggest winners and losers. WINNERS Rob Jetten Meet your potential next Dutch prime minister. “We did it!” a victorious Jetten, the 38-year-old D66 leader, told a boisterous crowd in Leiden chanting the party’s campaign slogan: “It is possible.”  The party picked the line to underscore its optimistic campaign promises on housing and education, but the mantra applied also to its result: With a preliminary forecast predicting 26 seats, D66 is on track to achieve its best result ever and become the Netherlands’ largest party after a stunning late surge.  To illustrate its reversal of fortunes: In the 2023 election, D66 won just nine seats, 17 fewer than on Wednesday.  Addressing journalists on election night, Jetten said the results were nothing short of historic, “because we’ve shown not only to the Netherlands but also to the world that it’s possible to beat populist and extreme-right movements.” Fiscally conservative liberals At the start of election night, a visitor attending the election watch party of the center-right liberals of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) joked that they’d gone ahead and “sent out the funeral bouquets.”  The party had been shedding support in the polls, with the gloomiest projections predicting that it could lose 10 seats compared with its 2023 results, which were already down from 2021.  That didn’t happen: According to a preliminary forecast, the party would lose just two seats, finish third in the race and actually emerge from the election as the least-damaged party from the outgoing, right-leaning government. A triumph indeed. “Decent” politics After two years of constant backbiting and a political circus traversing from one scandal to the next, a core of Dutch voters returned to a politics of familiar ideas and the promise of stability.  The main proponent of this, Christian Democrat boss Henri Bontenbal, enthusiastically summarized it in The Hague on Wednesday night: “The Netherlands is gasping for new politics. Respectful and on-topic,” after campaigning with the slogan, “a decent country.” Speaking to POLITICO, Bontenbal admitted that the election came at the right time for his party, as it bounced back from five seats in 2023 to 18 this week on that platform, according to the preliminary forecast. “I really think people are tired of all the old political games that got us here,” he exhaled.  Bontenbal’s CDA wasn’t the only party scoring big with a positive campaign tone — Jetten’s efforts also paid off in spades — which broke through grumpiness characterizing the Dutch political scene after the Wilders-dominated government fell in June. LOSERS Frans Timmermans  Frans Timmermans left his top job at the European Commission in the summer of 2023 to become the face of the Dutch left and to lead a joint green-socialist ticket to victory.  On Wednesday, he failed for the second time.  Timmermans was unable to cash in on a year of chaos under a right-wing government. His party still loved him, as supporters made clear even during his concession speech — but Timmermans realized the Netherlands does not.  The GreenLeft-Labor ticket lost seats compared to the 2023 election, and fell short of poll predictions after a campaign in which it had seemed to emerge as the lead progressive antagonist to the far-right PVV.  But the spell broke on Wednesday, and the green-socialist audience in Rotterdam had to face up to the reality that D66’s Jetten is now the Dutch progressive darling.  Timmermans, after the devastating exit poll, wasted no time in quitting as the alliance leader.  The left Can anything propel left-wing parties to victory — or, frankly, even to gain seats — in the Dutch political landscape?  It’s a tough question for Dutch left-wingers to wrestle with Thursday morning, because the top left-leaning parties — the GreenLeft-Labor alliance and the Socialist Party (SP) — lost ground, according to projections.  The biggest opposition party couldn’t convince voters to back them, and even lost seats, despite being faced with the hardest-right government in Dutch history and the political chaos it ushered in.  The SP fared even worse than Timmermans’ joint ticket; its seat count almost halved, from five to three.   GreenLeft-Labor is already an alliance of two left-wing parties, and both have decided to merge into one single party next year — but they face a rocky road ahead, though could make up part of a Jetten-led coalition. JURY’S OUT Geert Wilders  We’ll never know how Geert Wilders or his supporters reacted to the first exit polls, since, unlike its competitors, the PVV didn’t hold an election watch party. When he did eventually face the press, fiery Wilders was the picture of humility, describing the dramatic loss of 11 seats — more than any other party — as a “heavy setback.” But, careful now, don’t declare him politically finished just yet. After triggering the collapse of the previous government, Wilders risked being ditched by his voters in even larger numbers. A sweeping victory by his left-wing nemesis Timmermans would have added to the humiliation. Neither scenario played out. Instead it was Timmermans who stepped down, while Wilders remains near the top of the political leaderboard.  And although his chances of joining even a right-wing coalition are slim — he’s burned too many bridges for that — he seems primed to return to his role of Dutch politics’ longest-serving outsider, firing shots and tossing bombs at the establishment from the benches of parliament.  “Buckle up, we’re only getting started,” he warned reporters.