Dutch Voters Give Overwhelming Confidence to Mark Rutte, He Has Energy for Another ten Years

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed an "overwhelming" victory in elections on Wednesday, vowing to use his fourth term in office to rebuild the country after the coronavirus pandemic.

Already one of Europe's longest serving leaders after ten years in office, exit polls showed Rutte's liberal party clearly winning the most seats in parliament after the socially distanced three-day vote.

The left-leaning, pro-EU D66 party, which has challenged Rutte's European policy as part of his current government, is set to surge into second place, making its leader, Sigrid Kaag, the most influential woman in present-day Dutch politics.

"The voters of the Netherlands have given my party an overwhelming vote of confidence," a smiling Rutte told reporters in parliament.

Rutte said that "not everything has gone well in the last 10 years", including his resignation in January over a scandal in which people were racially profiled and then falsely accused of scamming child benefits.

"But of course the main issue also on the table for the next years is how to rebuild the country going forward after corona."

He added that "I have the energy for another ten years."

The election is widely seen as a referendum on the government's performance during the coronavirus crisis.

The Netherlands is one of the first major European Union economies to hold elections during the COVID-19 crisis, and voting was held over three days to prevent spreading of the virus, which has killed more than 16,000 people and infected 1.1 million in the nation of 17 million.

The Netherlands is currently under its most stringent health measures yet including the curfew and closure of bars and restaurants.

Millions of masked voters cast their...

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