Pro-Europe parties win Dutch vote

With most votes counted, PM Mark Rutte claimed victory for his centre-right VVD party. The centre-left Labour Party looks set to come a close second.

Both parties are set to take even more seats than opinion polls had suggested. 

Yesterday's election was seen as a test of opinion on backing austerity and the recent eurozone bailouts. Preliminary results give the VVD 41 seats in the 150-member lower house, two more than Labour.

Between them, the two parties could theoretically form a new coalition government but their leaders played down such a possibility during the campaign.Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt welcomed exit poll results, tweeting: "Looks as if populist anti-Europeans are losing big time in Dutch election. Distinctly good news."

The Freedom Party of Geert Wilders will see its share of seats fall from 24 to 13, an exit poll suggested, while the Socialist Party is expected to come fourth with 15 seats, the same result as at the 2010 election.

The provisional final result is expected later today while the official result will be confirmed on Monday.

Mr Rutte campaigned to bring down the Netherlands' deficit and stimulate the economy by investing in infrastructure, while Labour leader Diederik Samsom advocated spending on job-creation programmes.

Speaking during the final TV debate on Tuesday night, Mr Rutte described the race as "extremely exciting".

Mr Samsom said EU states should work together over the crisis and rejected the idea that the Netherlands would be guided either by France or Germany in its approach to the eurozone.

Mr Samsom's approach has been broadly seen as a nod to the policies of France's recently elected Socialist President, Francois Hollande, who wants to increase spending and raise taxes on the rich.

Mr Rutte's policy echoes German Chancellor Angel Merkel's plans of strictly adhering to austerity measures that are designed to force down the country's deficit.

Analysts say the outcome will be significant for Germany's campaign for fiscal discipline in the eurozone.

The election was called after the Freedom Party withdrew its support for Mr Rutte's budget cuts six months ago.

Mr Wilders, best known outside the Netherlands for his anti-immigrant rhetoric, told his supporters on Wednesday night: "I would have rather stood here with good news, but the voter has spoken. We have lost badly."