THE HAGUE: Dutch voters headed to the polls Wednesday for a nail-biting election that will transform the country’s political landscape after Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s record 13 years in power.
Opinion polls have fluctuated wildly in the run-up to election day, with four candidates — including one from the far-right — seen as having a shot at taking the helm of the EU’s fifth-biggest economy.
The stakes are high: punching above its weight in the European Union and on the world stage, the Netherlands is a steadfast supporter of Ukraine and strict fiscal discipline in the eurozone.
But polls showed a huge percentage of voters remained undecided right up to election day, making for a tense and unpredictable vote.
“For me, this is a bit of a different election because anyone can win. In the end it came down to two candidates. I tossed a coin and chose one,” Vincent Spijker, a 54-year-old manager told AFP after casting his vote.
Voting closes at 9:00 pm (2000 GMT) when exit polls are published. Turnout is usually relatively high above 70 percent.
Could the Netherlands elect its first woman prime minister? Dilan Yesilgoz, leader of the centre-right VVD party and successor to Rutte, is hoping to cap a meteoric career by clinching the top job.
Born in Turkey, the charismatic 46-year-old has taken a hard line on immigration, pledging to drive down refugee numbers — a paradox to many as she arrived as a young girl following her asylum-seeking father.
Hard-working and media-savvy with a strong presence on Instagram, Yesilgoz has shrugged off the fact that she would make history as the first woman PM, but told AFP at a recent rally: “It’s about time.”
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