Dutch exit poll points toward neck and neck race between far right, center left for EU elections

An exit poll suggests that Geert Wilders’ far-right party and a center-left alliance were neck-and-neck in the Dutch election for the European Union parliament

An exit poll suggested Thursday that Geert Wilders’ far-right party and a center-left-alliance were neck-and-neck in Dutch elections for the European Union parliament.

In a possible harbinger of strong electoral gains for the hard right in the Europe Union, the exit poll indicated that Wilders’ Party for Freedom had made the biggest gains — winning seven seats, up from just one in the last parliament.

The poll of some 20,000 voters published by national broadcaster NOS predicted that the center left alliance would win eight of the 31 European Parliament seats up for grabs in the Netherlands.

Having sent shockwaves around Europe six months ago by becoming the biggest party in the Dutch national parliament, Wilders now wants to build on that popularity and set the tone for much of the bloc, with calls to claw powers back to national capitals and away from the EU so member states have more autonomy on issues such as migration.