In Holland, Europe wins. It is indeed a clear victory, almost historic and unexpected in these dimensions, for the two major parties in the race, both pro-European: the Conservatives of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's Vvd and the Labor Party of Diederik Samsom's PvdA have grown significantly since the last elections. Rutte's liberal-conservative party gets 41 seats (it had 31), while the PvdA's Labor party rises to 39 (it had 30). Together, the two parties therefore have 80 seats (out of the 150 in the Dutch Chamber) and – albeit divided by programmatic elements – on paper they can create a majority pro-EU government.
Samson telephoned Rutte to congratulate him on the win. The prime minister commented on the results of the poll announcing: "Tomorrow I will take the first step towards the formation of a government". Observers believe he will seek an alliance with Labour. Geert Wilders' ultra-right Eurosceptic (Pvv) collapsed (-9 seats, from 24 to 15), while Emile Roemer's socialists (also Eurosceptics, but from left-wing positions) are instead indicated at the same level as in the previous elections (15 seats).
Nearly 13 million Dutch people (12.696.193 according to official figures) voted in early elections followed across Europe, but in which the latest polls assigned, as in fact occurred, a victory to the moderate and pro-euro forces, cutting off the Eurosceptic wings of the country's fragmented political alignment.
