Party of Dutch Prime Minister claims election victory
(Vatican Radio)-- The conservative-liberal party of Prime Minister Mark Rutte has
claimed victory in Wednesday parliamentary elections in the Netherlands. Official
results also suggested pro-European parties would dominate a government, dispelling
concerns that radical eurosceptics would gain in the core euro zone country and push
to quit the European Union. "welcome our number one" shouted a man on the tunes
of a pop song. The enthusiastic party faithful crowded a hall in Scheveningen
near the North Sea beach to listen to the victory speech of 45-year-old Prime Minister
Rutte. He appeared overjoyed that his People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(VVD) won 41 of the 150 seats Dutch parliament, which Rutte described as a historic
results. "This is a special evening for us. Our party, which next year exists
65 years, has the best results in its history," he said amid shouts of approval. Yet,
commentators have warned that Rutte's pro-business VVD party will have to do business
with its main rival, the center-left Labor Party (PvdA). It became the second
largest political force with about 39 seats. PvdA leader Diederik Samson told
his supporters in Amsterdam that the election result are about change. "It has become
clear that it is time for a new direction," said Samson, a former Greenpeace activist-turned-politician
who only recently began publicly wearing ties. "The right-wing policies of the
last two years can not continue. We want to make the Netherlands stronger and get
it out of the crisis in a more social way." Analysts predict difficult coalition
talks between the VVD and Labor party. The election was seen by voters as a stark
rejection of the most radical critic of the EU, anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders,
whose Freedom Party (PVV) was forecast to lose eight seats, dropping to 16. Wednesday's
early elections were needed after he withdrew his PVV's crucial support for Rutte's
minority government, following weeks of talks about austerity measures. The ballot
was also closely monitored by the EU as the Netherlands is a founding member and the
victory of meanstream political parties are viewed as crucial for tackling the eurozone
crisis. Dutch European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said she was pleased
with Wednesday's victory of her VVD party. "Fantastic, this is a blessing for the
Netherlands and Europe. We can now form a cabinet that can seriously participate in
talks in Brussels and Europe because no anti-European will have power," she said.
Listen to the report by Stefan Bos