Geert Wilders, who won the Dutch election, is a firebrand who opposes Islam

Geert Wilders has won a landslide victory in a Dutch election, putting him in prime position to form the next governing coalition and possibly become the next prime minister of the Netherlands.

An exit poll showing his landslide appeared to catch even the 60-year-old political veteran Wilders off guard.

In his first reaction, which was posted in a video on X, formerly Twitter, he spread his arms wide, put his face in his hands, and simply said "35!" — the number of seats an exit poll predicted his Party for Freedom, or PVV, would win in the lower house of parliament, which has 150 seats.

To appeal to mainstream voters this time, Wilders toned down his anti-Islam rhetoric and sought to focus less on what he calls the "de-Islamization" of the Netherlands and more on addressing pressing issues such as housing shortages, a cost-of-living crisis, and access to quality health care.

Nonetheless, his campaign platform calls for a referendum on the Netherlands leaving the European Union, a "asylum freeze," and "no Islamic schools, Qurans, or mosques," despite his pledge Wednesday night not to violate Dutch laws or the country's constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and expression.

He is also an outspoken supporter of Israel, advocating for the relocation of the Dutch Embassy to Jerusalem and the closure of the Dutch diplomatic post in Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority's headquarters.