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Early general elections will be held in the Netherlands on 29 October 2025 [1] to elect members of the House of Representatives, after the Schoof cabinet collapsed due to the Party for Freedom (PVV) withdrawing from the coalition.
The 2023 Dutch general election resulted in losses for all parties in the fourth Rutte cabinet. The Party for Freedom (PVV) became the largest party in the House of Representatives for the first time and then formed a coalition with the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), New Social Contract (NSC) and the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB). The Schoof cabinet with the independent Dick Schoof as prime minister was sworn in on 2 July 2024. On 3 June 2025, PVV left the coalition due to disagreements over asylum policy, [2] leading to Schoof submitting the resignation of the cabinet. [3]
A snap election was called for 29 October 2025; [4] originally, the next general election was scheduled for 15 March 2028. [5] On 23 August 2025, NSC also left the coalition, citing disagreements over sanctions against Israel for the Gaza war. [6] On 12 June 2025, the Labour Party and GroenLinks agreed to participate with one shared candidate list again and to merge their parties in 2026. [7]
Compared to the 2023 election, three incumbent parliamentary parties have had a change in their lead candidate. Jimmy Dijk replaced Lilian Marijnissen as Socialist Party (SP) leader within a month after the election, [8] Thierry Baudet stepped down for Lidewij de Vos to be the lead candidate of Forum for Democracy (FvD), [9] and Eddy van Hijum was chosen as lead candidate of NSC after Pieter Omtzigt and Nicolien van Vroonhoven stepped down. [10]
| Party | Lead candidate | Ideology | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party for Freedom | PVV | Geert Wilders | Nationalism, right-wing populism | |
| GroenLinks–PvdA | GL/PvdA | Frans Timmermans | Social democracy, green politics | |
| People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | VVD | Dilan Yeşilgöz | Conservative liberalism | |
| New Social Contract | NSC | Eddy van Hijum | Christian democracy | |
| Democrats 66 | D66 | Rob Jetten | Social liberalism | |
| Farmer–Citizen Movement | BBB | Caroline van der Plas | Agrarianism, right-wing populism | |
| Christian Democratic Appeal | CDA | Henri Bontenbal | Christian democracy | |
| Socialist Party | SP | Jimmy Dijk | Democratic socialism, left-wing populism | |
| Denk | Denk | Stephan van Baarle | Minority interests | |
| Party for the Animals | PvdD | Esther Ouwehand | Animal rights, green politics | |
| Forum for Democracy | FVD | Lidewij de Vos | National conservatism, right-wing populism | |
| Reformed Political Party | SGP | Chris Stoffer | Christian right | |
| Christian Union | CU | Mirjam Bikker | Christian democracy | |
| Volt Netherlands | Volt | Laurens Dassen | Social liberalism | |
| JA21 | JA21 | Joost Eerdmans | Conservative liberalism, right-wing populism | |
Pursuant to articles C.1, C.2 and C.3 of the electoral law, elections for the House of Representatives take place every four years in March, unless a snap election is called. The 150 members of the House of Representatives are elected by semi-open list proportional representation. The number of seats per list is determined using the D'Hondt method. A list must receive a number of votes equal to or exceeding the Hare quota (1 full seat) in order to qualify for seat distribution, meaning there is an electoral threshold of 0.67%. [11] Voters have the option to cast a preferential vote. The seats won by a list are first allocated to the candidates who, in preferential votes, have received at least 25% of the Hare quota (effectively ¼ of a seat or 0.17% of the total votes), regardless of their placement on the electoral list. If multiple candidates from a list pass this threshold, their ordering is determined based on the number of votes received. Any remaining seats are allocated to candidates according to their position on the electoral list. [12] [13]
The housing market, immigration and healthcare have been polled to be the main topics in the months prior to the election. [14] [15] [16] GroenLinks–PvdA (GL/PvdA), Democrats 66 (D66), the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the Socialist Party (SP), the Christian Union (CU) and Volt have all included the reduction of the mortgage interest deduction in their party manifestos. That has been opposed by the Party for Freedom (PVV), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), New Social Contract (NSC), the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) and Forum for Democracy (FvD). [17]
PVV leader Geert Wilders has attended local protests against asylum seeker centers in Helmond and Zwolle, urging municipalities to defy the Dispersal Act, and making these protests a central part of his election campaign. [18] This approach has drawn criticism from local politicians and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, who accuse Wilders of improper interference in local politics and of inciting unnecessary fear and division. [19] In August 2025, a discrimination hotline and Muslim organisations filed complaints against Wilders over a tweet comparing a young, blonde woman with PVV and an older woman wearing a headscarf with the Labour Party (PvdA). The tweet drew a record amount of complaints to the hotline and was compared to Nazi propaganda. [20]
Multiple parties, including GL/PvdA, VVD and CDA, have stated they would not want to form a government with PVV. However, Wilders stated he wanted to govern, possibly in a minority government. [21] GL/PvdA and VVD both stated they would rather not govern with each other, but have not ruled out working together in a government. [22]
| Date | Organisers | Channel | Venue | I Invited NI Not invited | Ref. | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 October | NOS | NPO Radio 1 | Unknown | [23] | |||||||||||||||
| 12 October | RTL Nieuws | RTL 4 | Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam | 4 participants based on polling average by 2 October | [24] | ||||||||||||||
| 19 October | 6 participants based on polling average by 9 October | ||||||||||||||||||
| 21 October | Nederlands Dagblad | De Basiliek, Veenendaal | NI | I | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | I | NI | NI | NI | NI | [25] | |
| 23 October | Talpa TV | SBS6 | Unknown | [26] | |||||||||||||||
| 28 October | NOS | NPO 1 | Unknown | ||||||||||||||||
After rising in the polls in the first months after the 2023 Dutch general election, the Party for Freedom (PVV) has declined from March 2024 onwards, but has continued to lead. GroenLinks–PvdA (GL/PvdA) has consistently polled in second place, between 25 and 30 seats. The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) has consistently risen in the polls, at first at the expense of New Social Contract (NSC) and later of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). [27] [28]
