The centrist liberal party D66, led by Rob Jetten, appears to have secured first place in the Dutch elections, according to the main exit poll — just two years after finishing sixth in the previous vote.

The liberals of D66 are expected to win 27 seats in the new parliament, two more than Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV), which had come first in the last election.

Three other parties are close behind, including the conservative liberals, the left-wing Green–Labour alliance, and the Christian Democrats.

Wilders had led the opinion polls throughout the campaign period, but after the collapse of his governing coalition in June, most leaders of the major parties made it clear that they did not wish to cooperate with him again.

At the same time, Jetten’s D66 ran a successful campaign, capitalizing on his strong performance in televised debates. According to the BBC, his appearance on a television game show during the campaign is also said to have further boosted his popularity.