Exit poll shows Dutch PM Rutte beating anti-Islam leader Wilders

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is moving toward a dominating parliamentary election victory over anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, who is looking like he failed the year’s first litmus test for populism in Europe.

The Netherlands’ main exit poll suggests Rutte’s party won 31 seats in the 150-place legislature, 12 more than Wilders’ party, which shared second place with two other parties.

“I am so proud at what has happened and happy that we have been given the trust again” by voters, Tamara van Ark, campaign leader of Rutte’s liberal VVD party said.

With France and Germany facing elections in the months ahead, Rutte hoped to slow the momentum of what he called the “wrong sort of populism” after last’s year British vote to leave the European Union and the election of US President Donald Trump.

“This is a chance for a big democracy like the Netherlands to make a point to stop this toppling over of the domino stones” of populism, Rutte said after voting.

Wilders had insisted that whatever the result of Wednesday’s election, the kind of populist politics he and others in Europe represent aren’t going away.

“Rutte has not seen the back of me!!” Wilders said in a Twitter reaction.

— AP