With over 99 percent of the vote counted in the Netherlands following Wednesday's elections, the liberal Democrats 66 (D66) has a narrow lead over the far-right Party of Freedom (PVV). 

The party with the most votes typically is awarded the first opportunity to form a coalition and PVV's far-right firebrand leader, Geert Wilders, says he's committed to ensuring that this principle be respected.

"The PVV wants to take the lead in the formation if we were to become the largest. As long as there is no 100% clarity about that, no D66 scout can get to work. We will do everything to prevent this," Wilders said in a social media post.

In 2023 Wilders and the PVV secured 37 seats in the Dutch parliament becoming the largest political party for the first time in its 25 year history. But after 11 months the fragile far-right governing alliance collapsed after Wilders pulled the PVV out of the coalition back in June due to a row over immigration policy.

On Wednesday, the PVV lost over 10 seats and the major political parties in the country have ruled out entering into another coalition with Wilders.

Regardless of whether he wins the popular vote, 38-year-old Rob Jetten, leader of the D66 party, could become the next prime minister.

"This is a historic election result because we've shown not only to the Netherlands but also to the world that it is possible to beat populist and extreme-right movements," Jetten told supporters after exit polls were released on Wednesday evening shortly after voting ended.

Jetten could become the country's youngest and first openly gay prime minister. Addressing the nation's housing crisis, tackling climate change and aligning more closely with the European Union are among the progressive liberal D66's priorities.

"Making a stronger pro-European position in Brussels but also voicing a more pro-European position here in The Hague, another priority for D66 traditionally has been education so part of the promises of D66 has been to reverse and to stop the cutdowns in the educational sector," said Dimiter Toshkov, Associate Professor at the University of Leiden in an interview with CGTN.

The exact political direction that the country is going is still unknown. No party got close to the 76 seat threshold needed to form a majority in the Dutch parliament which means that attention now turns to the political makeup of the next coalition government.

The center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) are slated to finish third. At the party's Wednesday night election event in The Hague, supporters were upbeat that the party has done enough to be a part of the next government.

For some supporters, the result marks a shift away from the divisive and volatile political climate of the past two years.

"Now it's more stable right now and we can finally move forward because it was almost like we became the laughing stock for our politics. And now everyone can take it seriously," said Sophia, a VVD voter speaking to CGTN.

The ink is yet to dry on this election and there could still be months of political maneuvering before a new government is officially agreed.