The Guardian’s view on the Dutch election: A major victory for the politics of hope, not hate | Editorial

HeyOne of the toughest elections in Dutch history has produced results so close that even the first steps in negotiating a new coalition government have not yet begun. But at a time when the advances of the far right across Europe are dominating headlines, sapping the confidence of major parties, one encouraging lesson has become immediately clear: that a less divisive kind of politics can still penetrate the public, if pursued with conviction and skill.

The big and unexpected winner of last week’s poll was 38-year-old Rob Gitten, the charismatic leader of the centrist Liberal Party. D66whose vote has nearly tripled and is set to lead in the polls by a narrow margin. Basing his campaign on an Obama-style slogan of “Yes We Can,” Cetin presented himself as an optimistic unifier for voters exhausted by the polarizing politics of Geert Wilders, whose anti-immigrant Freedom Party dominated the outgoing coalition. He now has a very good chance of becoming the country’s youngest ever Prime Minister.

Rumors about the death of Europe’s political center may have been exaggerated in any case. But celebrations should not be exaggerated. Understandably ecstatic, Ceiten told his supporters after the election: “We have turned the page on Wilders.” Nowadays this is true. Wilders’ mainstream coalition partners have no intention of cooperating with him again, following his decision to bring down the last government when it failed to enact his extreme anti-immigration plans.

But the Freedom Party’s decline in the polls has left it effectively tied with the 66 Party for first place, and Dutch politics remains stuck on the same page regarding the far right in general. Most of the votes Wilders lost went to smaller rival parties with similar agendas. As did the political scientist Cass Mudd He pointed outHowever, their collective presence in the next parliament will actually be slightly larger than before. In contrast, the center-left had a miserable night, culminating in the resignation of Green Left/Labour coalition leader and former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans.

This political backdrop means that a future centrist-led coalition, possibly headed by Mr. Cetin, will bear a very heavy responsibility. The D66 campaign argued that the messy politics of division were inadequate to the task of solving the massive housing crisis, skyrocketing health care costs and concerns about immigration. Its message was conveyed by the disgraceful performance of Mr. Wilders’ party in power. But failure to bring about radical change from the center could unleash a darker backlash.

For now, however, Giten’s sudden emergence as a political star provides progressive movements with much-needed reasons to cheer. Having gained real influence after the Freedom Party’s comfortable election victory two years ago, Mr Wilders has thoroughly corrupted him. The policy of optimism and cooperation has returned to the fore in the Netherlands Pro-EuropeanThe pro-climate action leader could be in charge of the country next year.

In countries such as France, Germany and Britain, where the center has remained almost constant so far, the dynamics are not quite the same. However, as the mainstream parties allow far-right themes to shape the political agenda, the rise of D66 is a case study in how to do things differently. Citin must be congratulated because he has shown that a policy of “hope, not hate” can work if given the chance.