How to lose a Dutch election — and still win one

EU Confidential

POLITICO

Politics, News Commentary, News

4.4 • 175 Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Is it enough to come first in an election? In the Netherlands, you hear that centrist Rob Jetten won big and Geert Wilders’ far right lost a lot — even though either one could still turn out to be No. 1 when all the votes are counted. Eva Hartog breaks down the results of the Dutch election with host Sarah Wheaton, and Max Griera reflects on what Frans Timmermans’ defeat means for social democrats all over Europe.Then, our Berlaymont Who’s Who series is back, with an introduction to Vice President of the European Commission Roxana Mînzatu of Romania.Finally, Shawn Pogatchnik takes us through last week's Irish presidential election, which was, in contrast to the Dutch vote, a bright spot for the political left. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	At Liddle, we value the moments that bring people together, like opening massive boxes of chocolates.
0:07.0	That's why we've got quality street and celebrations tabs for just 439 each.
0:12.0	A little treat that brings big smiles. In store now.
0:16.0	Liddle, more to value, while stocks last selected stores, GB only.
0:20.0	Sean has had some good ideas over the years. Water Value. While stocks last, selected stores, GV-only.
0:24.5	Sean has had some good ideas over the years.
0:27.6	But using Canva was a really good one.
0:32.3	Sean designed some social posts to promote his friend's car boot sale.
0:34.4	They looked good.
0:36.5	Really, really good.
0:43.7	Next thing he knows, someone came and bought the lot, including the car.
0:46.8	Now Sean doesn't know how he's going to get home.
0:49.2	Thanks, Canva.
0:53.1	What does it mean to win an election?
1:00.9	In the Netherlands, as of this recording, we're still trying to figure out the answer to that in the literal sense.
1:06.5	But even when all the votes are tallied, the picture of victory will still be pretty muddy.
1:13.6	Whoever comes in first after Wednesday's election, as my colleague Eva Hartag put it in an editorial meeting,
1:18.1	will be the smallest, biggest party since the Second World War.
1:23.9	And these two little big parties couldn't be more different.
1:30.1	One of them is the far-right movement of Hirtwilders, the guy who shocked the Netherlands and all of Europe in 2023, when his broadsides against migration and European integration
1:36.5	swept him into victory and his party into government. The other is D66, a centrist party that's been around for a while, but is now suddenly
1:47.0	having its moment.
	...

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