Dutch election: Anti-Islam populist Wilders set for victory – exit poll

Veteran anti-Islam populist leader Geert Wilders is heading for a dramatic victory in the the Dutch general election, says an Ipsos exit poll.

After 25 years in the Dutch parliament, his Freedom party (PVV) is heading for 35 seats, according to the poll, well ahead of his nearest rival, a left-wing alliance.

“The PVV can no longer be ignored,” he said. “We will govern.”

If confirmed the result will shake Dutch politics.

But he will struggle to find parties to join him in government.

No single party can win enough seats to govern alone, and three big parties behind him have made clear they have no desire to work with Mr Wilders.

But he was in combative mood in his victory speech: “We want to govern and with 35 seats we will govern… 35 seats is an enormous compliment but an enormous responsibility too.”

The left-wing alliance under Frans Timmermans is predicted to come in second with 25 seats and will steer clear of any deal with the Freedom Party.

So Mr Wilders will need to find support from the two other biggest parties.

The original favourites to win the race, the centre-right liberals under new leader Dilan Yesilgöz, are heading for third place, ahead of a brand new centre party under whistleblower MP Pieter Omtzigt.

Both leaders congratulated the Freedom party leader on his success.

But a Wilders’ victory will send shockwaves around Europe, as the Netherlands is one of the founding members of what became the European Union.

Mr Wilders wants to hold a referendum to leave the EU, dubbed a “Nexit”, although he recognises there is no national mood to do so.

He also tempered his language in the run-up to the vote, saying on its eve that there were more pressing issues at the moment than his commitment to ban Islam, and he was prepared to put that on hold.

In his victory speech on Wednesday night he declared that the Dutch voter had spoken and chosen “an agenda of hope”.

Mr Wilders took advantage of widespread dissatisfaction with the previous government, which collapsed in a disagreement over asylum rules.

Migration became one of the main themes of the campaign, and Mr Wilders made clear on Wednesday he intended to tackle a “tsunami of asylum”.

He made a direct appeal to the other parties that, now the campaign was over it was time to work together and the Freedom Party would also do so seriously.