After the scandal resulting in the resignation of Dutch foreign minister who lied about meeting Putin, Dutch PM successfully comes out of no-confidence vote
Eurocentric populist parties may have failed to actually clinch a victory in national elections, but at the ballot boxes, 2017 has proven a bumper year for the region's far-right.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said regardless of who had won the Netherlands election, the views of Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders were widespread in Europe and were pushing the continent towards "wars of religion."
With more than 60 percent of votes counted, Rutte's Liberal VVD party is set to win 32 seats, making it the largest in the new 150-seat parliament.
Partial vote counts on Thursday show Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte easily defeating a strong challenge by far-right rival Geert Wilders. Many relieved European leaders have dubbed it as a "vote against extremists".
According to initial results, the Dutch PM Rutte's VVD Party bagged 31 seats in the next 150-seat parliament, forcing far-right Geert Wilders into second place.
The refusal by the German and Dutch authorities to let Turkish ministers hold public rallies has spiraled into a diplomatic crisis, but will it persist?
The Dutch are at the polls in a parliamentary election overshadowed by a diplomatic row with Turkey. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and rival anti-EU party leader Geert Wilders have already cast their votes.
Right-wing populist Geert Wilders has emerged as a front runner for Wednesday's polls with his anti-Islam and anti-immigrant rhetoric. He hopes the deepening row with Turkey will bolster his chances of winning.
The feud between the Turkish and Dutch government might have more to do with a rivalry for conservative votes in the Netherlands, than it does with the Turks' right to campaign in the country.
Wednesday's crucial general election is being seen as a test of anti-immigrant sentiment in the Netherlands.
Rotterdam city authorities banned Turkey's foreign minister from flying to Rotterdam after barring him from addressing a meeting there in support of a campaign for constitutional change which is being put to a referendum in April.
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