Dutch elections: Wilders' far-right party defeated, exit polls show
YAY way to go !!!!
By Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Bryony Jones, CNN Wed March 15, 2017
Go watch and READ!
(CNN)Conservative Dutch Prime Minster Mark Rutte has defeated a challenge from his far-right rival in an election widely seen as an indicator of populist sentiment in Europe, exit polls indicated Wednesday.
The anti-immigrant firebrand Geert Wilders, who had promised to "de-Islamise" the Netherlands, was on course for a poorer than expected performance. In exit polls for the national broadcaster NOS, his Freedom Party tied for second place with two other parties. The leftwing environmentalist GroenLinks (Green Left) party looked likely to make big gains, while the PVDA (Labour) party, Rutte's outgoing partners in coalition, were on course for a historic defeat. Turnout was 81%, NOS said, the highest for three decades.
Wilders tweeted: "PVV voters thanks. We won seats, first victory is in. Rutte hasn't got rid of me yet."
PVV-stemmers bedankt!
We hebben zetels gewonnen! Eerste winst is binnen!
En Rutte is nog lang niet van mij af!! — Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) March 15, 2017
"This is a night for the Netherlands," Rutte told crowds of supporters after the exit poll was released. "After Brexit, after the US election, we said 'stop it, stop it' to the wrong kind of populism."
Relief in Europe
The vote was the first of three elections this year in Europe in which populist, rightwing candidates were hoping for mainstream electoral breakthroughs. In April's French presidential election, Front National leader Marine le Pen is expected to make it to the runoff vote. In German elections in September the euroskeptic, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland party is expected win its first seats in the federal parliament .
There was relief in mainstream European governments at the Dutch exit poll. "Large majority of Dutch voters have rejected anti-European populists. That's good news," the German Foreign Ministry tweeted.
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentilioni tweeted his approval: "The anti-EU right has lost the election in the Netherlands. All together for change and revive the (European) Union."
Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte celebrates after exit polls put him in first place.
"Congratulations to the Dutch for preventing the rise of the far right," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Twitter.
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