The outcome positions Jetten to lead the formation of a coalition, a task typically delegated to the largest party, and possibly become the Netherlands’ prime minister if successful.
D66 and the PVV surpassed the center-right liberals of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which obtained 22 seats in the recent election; the left-wing GreenLeft-Labor alliance secured 20 seats; and the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) gathered 18. Among smaller parties, the conservative JA21 emerged as the largest with nine seats.
Jetten has emphasized the necessity of a broad coalition, noting that D66 is a “small large party” by Dutch standards, though caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof mentioned that the process will not be swift.
Building a coalition may prove difficult if it requires persuading the center-right VVD and the left-wing GreenLeft-Labor alliance to cooperate within the same government, given their contentious campaign rivalry.
Jetten expressed his wish to establish a “stable Cabinet,” noting that he does not prefer a coalition where D66 is the most left-wing party. “I think voters have made it clear that working together in the center is really the message behind this result,” he stated.
He urged VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz, who has repeatedly opposed a coalition with GreenLeft-Labor, to reconsider. “Voters want us to stop playing political games and really buckle down together,” he remarked.
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