Nationalist FvD equals ruling party VVD in the Senate
FvD received the most votes in the Provincial States election, according to a provisional forecast from news wire ANP. Over 93 percent of the votes have been counted. Thierry Baudet's nationalist party will get 12 seats in the Senate, the same number as ruling party VVD. GroenLinks also had a major victory, ending with 9 seats in the Eerste Kamer.
ANP's forecast differs from the Ipsos exit poll, which predicted that the VVD will still be the largest party in the Senate and the the FvD would get 10 seats.
According to Baudet, the voter has punished the Netherlands' current leaders for their "arrogance and stupidity". In his victory speech, Baudet went for a frontal attack on his fellow politicians, education and journalists, according to NU.nl. "We are being destroyed by the people who should protect us", he said. "We are undermined by universities and journalists, by people who design our buildings."
Eerste Kamer composition based on provisional results:
- VVD 12 (-1)
- FvD 12 (+12)
- CDA 9 (-3)
- GroenLinks 9 (+5)
- PvdA 7 (-1)
- D66 6 (-4)
- PVV 5 (-4)
- ChristenUnie 4 (+1)
- SP 4 (-5)
- PvdD 3 (+1)
- 50Plus 2 (+0)
- SGP 2 (+0)
- DENK 0
- OSF 0
Voter turnout was up substantially, compared with turnout in 2015. Some 57.9 percent of eligible voters showed up at polling places, up from 47.8 percent four years earlier