Amsterdam, 23 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Right-wing populist Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) has emerged as the strongest force from the Dutch parliamentary elections on Wednesday, according to an exit poll by Dutch broadcasters.

The PVV is projected to garner 36 of the 150 seats in parliament, a result which, if confirmed, would make it the first right-wing populist party ever to win parliamentary elections in the Netherlands.

"The voter has spoken," Wilders said on TV on Wednesday evening.

Coalition talks are expected to take a long time and the composition of any government may not be clear for some time.

Wilders announced that he now also wants to govern, saying that "under no circumstances" should the will of the voters be ignored.

"The Netherlands has spoken and - as far as I'm concerned - this must be implemented."

However, he needs at least two parties for a majority - and it is questionable whether he can actually find partners for a coalition.

"I believe that we all have to jump over our shadows now," he said, referring to other parties' declared refusal to work with him which could mean that despite a projected first place in the elections, Wilders might not become the country's next prime minister.

The right-wing liberal governing party VVD of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte lost 10 seats and now has 24. The new centre party NSC can expect 20 seats.

Wilders' anti-Islam party made a significant leap forward in the polls after the right-wing liberal governing party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), said that it was not ruling out a coalition with him this time.

The VVD's top candidate Dilan Yesilgöz is aiming to succeed her party colleague Rutte and become the first woman to head the government. Rutte had always ruled out working with Wilders.

Yesilgöz, who stands accused by the opposition of having made Wilders socially acceptable by saying she would not rule him out as a coalition partner, has said she will however not enter a government with Wilders as prime minister.

The alliance of the Social Democratic and Green parties, whose lead candidate is the former EU commissioner for climate, Frans Timmermans, is projected to win 25 seats, a gain of eight seats.

"Now is the time for us to defend democracy," Timmermans said in Amsterdam late on Wednesday.

The previous front-runner in the election - the former Christian Democrat Pieter Omtzigt and his new party New Social Contract (NSC) - is expected to win 20 seats.

Omtzigt has explicitly ruled out a coalition with Wilders, saying the PVV leader represents anti-constitutional positions.

The PVV's programme calls for a ban on mosques and the Koran as well as a referendum on "Nexit," a Netherlands' exit from the EU.

However, during the election campaign, Wilders struck a more moderate tone and said the fight against Islam was currently not his top priority. Instead, he is plannning to close the country's borders to aslyum seekers.

Around 13.3 million Dutch citizens were called on to vote in the early general election which was called after Rutte's centre-right coalition collapsed over a conflict about migration policy.

Rutte then announced that he would leave national politics. He has been prime minister for around 13 years and will remain in office until a successor is elected.

After the previous election in March 2021, it took almost 10 months for the right-wing liberal Rutte to present his fourth Cabinet.

A provisional result is expected early on Thursday.

The leader of Germany's far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, congratulated Wilders on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

"Congratulations on this great success," she posted.

"All of Europe wants a political turnaround! #Wilders #AfD."

According to reports in the Dutch media, Wilders also received congratulations from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and French right-wing nationalist Marine Le Pen.