Quick First Reaction to the Dutch Elections

Quick First Reaction to the Dutch Elections

October 30, 2025

I don’t plan to spend much energy on the Dutch elections — my focus lies elsewhere — but here are a few brief remarks.

It’s a good thing that Schoof is stepping down as prime minister; he was not an elected politician. What stands out most is that NSC went from 20 to 0 seats. To me, that means more than just the departure of its leader — the party had no natural place in a right-wing coalition.

All parties from the former coalition lost ground, but only slightly. The PVV lost 12 seats but remains a leading party. The VVD lost only one or two. Remarkably, D66 and the CDA gained ground. In terms of content, I find the CDA’s program the most convincing.

GL/PvdA, as the main opposition, also lost seats, though not as dramatically as it might seem at first glance. Still, the leader drew the correct conclusion — it’s time for a new generation. You can see that in Jetten’s rise.

It appears the Netherlands is choosing a center-right course. For the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, that’s good news: D66 has always maintained a constructive attitude toward the islands.

All in all, the results suggest that Dutch voters prefer stability and experience over experimentation — a recalibration of the political center rather than a populist wave.

Now we are waiting for the final results — and the coalition talks.

Miguel Goede