Dutch election: Geert Wilders party set to surge in power
Anti-Islam PVV party on course to become largest in parliament after Wednesday's vote
Conservative VVD Party says it won't join new Cabinet
Geert Wilders' far-right anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) is on course to be the largest party in the Netherlands after Wednesday's general election.
With almost all votes counted, the PVV has won 23.5% of the vote, up from 13.1% in 2017. This would give the party 29 seats in the 150-seat Dutch parliament, up from 20 previously.
The conservative VVD Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, is currently in second place with 21.9% of the vote, down from 23.9% in 2017. The VVD has said it will not join a new Cabinet with the PVV.
Wilders, who has been described as the "Dutch Donald Trump", has campaigned on a pledge to ban Muslim immigration and close all mosques in the Netherlands.
His rise to power has been fueled by growing public anger over immigration and the perceived threat of Islam to Dutch culture.
If the PVV does become the largest party in parliament, it will be a major setback for Rutte, who has been in power since 2010.
It would also raise concerns about the future of the Netherlands as a tolerant and inclusive society.
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