THE HAGUE -- The Democrats 66 (D66), led by Rob Jetten, has taken a narrow lead with 27 seats in the Dutch parliamentary elections, according to the first exit poll published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Wednesday.

The Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, followed closely with 25 seats, while the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) ranked third with 23 seats. The Green Left-Labor alliance is projected to win 20 seats, just ahead of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with 19.

However, NOS cautioned that the results remain preliminary, citing an Ipsos poll margin of error of up to two seats. The exit poll was conducted at 65 polling stations and included responses from approximately 80,000 voters.

The official outcome of the elections is expected to be announced by the Dutch Electoral Council in the coming days.

In the exit poll, the D66 emerged as the biggest winner, gaining 18 seats compared to its performance in the 2023 elections.

"Today, D66 achieved its best result ever and may well be the largest party in the Netherlands," said Jetten in response to the exit poll.

"We've just witnessed something truly extraordinary, and it's going to be a nail-biter, but one thing is certain: millions of Dutch people have turned the page," he said. "They've said goodbye to the politics of 'it can't be done.' They've chosen positive forces and a politics that will allow us to look ahead."

Jetten, born in 1987, has been the party leader of D66 since 2023 and a member of the Dutch House of Representatives since December of that year.

He most recently served as the minister for climate and energy, a minister without portfolio at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy in the then Mark Rutte cabinet, from January 2022 to July 2024. For the final six months of his term, he also held the position of deputy prime minister.

In contrast, all four parties that formed the ruling coalition after the 2023 elections - the PVV, VVD, Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), and New Social Contract (NSC) - saw their support decline.

The PVV is projected to fall from 37 to 25 seats, while the VVD and BBB are expected to lose one and three seats respectively. The NSC faces a complete collapse, dropping from 20 seats to zero.

"The voters have spoken. We had hoped for a different result, but we stood our ground," PVV leader Wilders wrote on social media platform X. "We are more combative than ever and remain the second, and perhaps even the largest, party in the Netherlands."

Frans Timmermans, head of the Green Left-Labor alliance, announced his resignation as party leader, stating he is "deeply disappointed with the results."

The election was called after the PVV withdrew from the governing coalition in June over an immigration dispute, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Dick Schoof's cabinet, which has since served in a caretaker capacity. The winning party is expected to begin coalition talks to form a new government.