Exit polls reveal unexpected result in the Netherlands election
Photo: Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV (Getty Images)
Parliamentary elections were held today, October 29, in the Netherlands. According to preliminary data, the liberal party D66 unexpectedly took the lead, according to polling data from the international research company Ipsos, NOS reports.
According to the exit poll results, D66 leads by a narrow margin with 27 seats in parliament.
Photo: exit poll results (nos.nl)
Meanwhile, the far-right PVV party, considered the favorite, trails with 25 seats.
The liberal-conservative VVD ranks third with 23 seats.
NOS noted that the margin of error could reach up to two seats, so it is too early to draw conclusions about a possible liberal victory.
Polling stations closed at 9 p.m., and vote counting has already begun.
The exit poll results are based on a survey conducted by Ipsos I&O for NOS and RTL across 65 polling stations nationwide.
Dutch elections
The parliamentary elections held today, October 29, were snap elections.
The need for elections arose after the leader of the far-right PVV party, Geert Wilders, decided to withdraw his party from the ruling coalition.
Before the election, PVV was widely seen as the frontrunner in pre-election polls, showing strong voter support. According to the latest forecasts, Wilders' party could win 31 out of 150 parliamentary seats.
The party advocates for a total ban on asylum in the Netherlands and for the return of male refugees to Ukraine.
Read more about the Dutch elections and their potential impact on Ukraine in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
