With 98% of the votes counted on Thursday, Geert Wilders' far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) won 37 of the 150 seats in the Dutch parliament.
The populist party was well ahead of a joint Labor-Green bloc with 25 seats and the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte with 24 seats.
Wilders' victory is expected to have far-reaching consequences in the Netherlands and Europe. The anti-EU politician has vowed to halt all immigration, slash Dutch payments to the union and block the entrance of any new members, including Ukraine.
Geert Wilders: The Dutch Donald Trump
Often referred to as the Dutch Trump, Geert Wilders' anti-Islam, anti-immigrant and anti-EU message seems to have finally swept him to first place at the polls.
From calling Moroccans "scum" to holding competitions for cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Wilders has built a career from his self-appointed mission to stop an "Islamic invasion" of the West.
He has remained defiant despite brushes with the law — he was convicted for insulting Moroccans — and death threats that have meant he has been under police protection since 2004.
Nevertheless, at the sixth time of asking, Wilders appears to have finally triumphed in the polls by toning down some of his populist rhetoric and focusing on voters' other concerns.
There are "bigger problems than fighting against the flood of asylum-seekers and immigrants", he said in one of the final election debates, adding he was prepared to put his views on Islam "in the freezer" to govern.
He said the Dutch people care more about cost-of-living issues, healthcare and security.
Yet the manifesto of his PVV (Freedom Party) retained the sharp anti-immigrant tone that has become his hallmark.
Born in 1963 in southern Venlo, close to the German border, Wilders grew up in a Catholic family with his brother and two sisters.
His mother was half-Indonesian, a fact Wilders rarely mentions.
Wilders entered politics in 1998 in the Liberal VVD party, before beginning a one-man faction in parliament and then forming the far-right PVV in 2006.
Wilders vows to 'return country to the Dutch'
Dutch far-right populist Geert Wilders vowed to "return the country to the Dutch" in a first response to his seemingly resounding victory in general elections.
"We will have to find ways to live up to the hopes of our voters, to put the Dutch back on number one," Wilders said after an exit poll showed his Freedom Party (PVV) had a wide lead on other parties.
"Now is the time for parties to look for agreements, we can't be ignored."
The PVV is projected to garner 35 of the 150 seats in parliament, which, if confirmed, would make it the first right-wing populist party ever to win parliamentary elections in the Netherlands.
Elections mark end of Rutte era
Mark Rutte announced in July that he was quitting national politics as his fourth coalition government collapsed.
The 56-year-old is ending a 13-year tenure as Dutch prime minister.
Rutte's longevity granted him the nickname "Teflon Mark." His third Cabinet, which took office in 2017, set the record for the Dutch government to face the most motions of no-confidence in the country's history with 36 motions.
Rutte's resignation, which sparked the snap elections, came after what he described as "insurmountable" differences within his coalition over the country's migration policies.
It was also followed by a wave of resignations from the leaders of several parties, paving the way for an entirely new political landscape for the Netherlands.
Speculation has risen since then on whether Rutte was interested in pursuing the role of NATO secretary-general after the departure of the alliance's current chief, Jens Stoltenberg, next year.
Rutte said he thought the job would be "interesting," but added that he thought the role should go to a woman.
How long will a new Dutch government take to form?
Once all the votes from Wednesday's election have been counted, party leaders will have to negotiate the makeup of the next governing coalition.
With multiple parties, and with far-right politician Geert Wilders' PVV in the lead, the horse-trading could take several months.
It is not clear he will be able to garner the necessary support for a broad enough coalition to form a workable government.
All the leaders of the three other top parties have said they would not serve in a PVV-led coalition.
After the 2021 election, it took more than 271 days or nine months for them to put together a four-party arrangement.
That's despite the then-new coalition being the same as the previous.
Although it is the tradition, there is no guarantee that the party that wins the most seats will end up delivering the prime minister.
Rutte will remain in a caretaker role until a new government is installed, likely in the first half of 2024.
Once the coalition makeup is agreed upon, the parties sign a coalition agreement and the new government is tasked with setting out its plans in parliament, followed by a vote of confidence.
Far-right politicians in Europe congratulate Wilders after win
Wilders’ party’s stunning election performance drew praise from nationalist and far-right European politicians.
"The winds of change are here! Congratulations to Geert Wilders on winning the Dutch elections!" hailed Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who leads the Rassemblement National party, posted on X: "Congratulations to Geert Wilders and the PVV for their spectacular performance in the legislative elections which confirms the growing attachment to the defense of national identities."
"It is because there are people who refuse to see the national torch extinguished that the hope for change remains alive in Europe."
Italian far-right leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also congratulated Wilders.
"Congratulations to our friend Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV and historic ally of the League, for this extraordinary electoral victory. A new Europe is possible."
However, some also expressed trepidation over the projected election outcome.
"The distress and fear are enormous. "Wilders is known for his ideas about Muslims and Moroccans. We are afraid that he will portray us as second-class citizens" said Habib El Kaddouri, head of the Dutch organization representing Dutch-Moroccans.
Friends of the Earth Netherlands, a network of grassroots environmental organizations, said it’s worried about the impact on climate action. "A Wilders government will mean four years of climate change denial, exclusion and a breakdown of the rule of law."
Frans Timmermans, leader of the Green/Labor left-wing bloc, said: "Democracy has spoken, now it's time for us to defend democracy, to defend the rule of law. We have to make a fist against exclusion, against discrimination."
