Updated On: 29 October, 2025 10:35 AM IST | The Hague | AP
The Netherlands heads to the polls in a closely fought election, with far-right leader Geert Wilders aiming for a second consecutive victory. Immigration and housing dominate the campaign, while mainstream parties vow not to join Wilders’ coalition amid deep political divisions

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The Dutch election campaign was on the home stretch Tuesday, a day before the country goes to the polls in a knife-edge vote with anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders seeking a second straight victory for his far-right Party for Freedom. The campaign has largely focused on two main issues that also resonate throughout Europe ` how to rein in the number of migrants and tackling a crisis of housing affordability and availability. Issues such as the climate and defence spending have taken a back seat.
Polls suggest that Wilders` party, which is calling for a total halt to asylum-seekers entering the Netherlands, remains on track to be the largest bloc in the 150-seat House of Representatives, but other more moderate parties are closing the gap. Christian Democrat leader Henri Bontenbal, who is tipped as a possible prime minister, said that the vote also is about who will be prime minister for the next four-year term.