After a short, mainly online, election campaign, the Netherlands wakes up to a parliament that will be only slightly different from the previous one.
As expected, Prime Minister Mark Rutte led his People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) to a fourth victory in a row. He is projected to win 35 seats, two more than last time, making it the country's largest party yet again.
Rutte called the result "an overwhelming vote of confidence."
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In January, the leader handed in his resignation after admitting he was responsible for a scandal in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of child benefit fraud.
"Not everything has gone well in the last 10 years," Rutte said, but despite the public anger about the matter, it did not hurt his popularity. A large majority of the population supports his fight against the pandemic.
What was unexpected, was the big win for his social-liberal coalition partner D66, led by the incumbent minister of foreign trade, Sigrid Kaag.
"I have always believed, and this evening it's been confirmed, that the Dutch are not extremists but are moderate. People appreciate positivity," she said after celebrating her victory while dancing on a table.
The pro-Europe Volt party made unexpected gains. /Robin van Lonkhuijsen/ANP/AFP
Fragmented factions
The Dutch Lower House only has 150 seats, but 16 parties made their entry into parliament. This gives an impression of how divided Dutch politics has become.
Far-right politician Geert Wilders lost ground, taking only 17 seats, while two other populist parties won 12 more seats together.
On the other side of the chamber, the Dutch Labour party, the Socialists, and the Greens did not manage to convince the country of their green, socially conscious ambitions.
There was also a surprise win for the newcomer Volt, the outspoken pro-Europe party, which took three seats. It is the first time the party has succeeded in entering a national parliament, possibly setting a precedent for the other EU member states.
Rutte will likely form a coalition with centrist and center-right parties like D66 and the Christian Democratic Appeal party. /Robin van Lonkhuijsen/ANP/AFP
Coalition Talks
Rutte now hopes to secure a coalition much more quickly than last time, when it took almost seven months.
The pro-Europe D66 will undoubtedly be part of his new government. On Wednesday night, Rutte said he would also prefer to continue with the more conservative Christian Democratic Appeal party.
Yet, D66's leader Kaag wants a more progressive course. Some challenging discussions between the two winners will take place over the next couple of weeks.
As the coronavirus crisis rumbles on, the Dutch prime minister knows he's facing a giant task.
"The main issue also on the table for the next years is how to rebuild the country going forward after coronavirus," he said.
Among the most pressing issues are the difficulties in reaching the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement objectives and the growing housing crisis.
In 510 days from now, Mark Rutte will become the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history.
That goal is within reach, but whether he can complete his new four-year mandate remains to be seen.