Prime Minister of The Netherland, Mark Rutte has claimed a fourth term in office after an “overwhelming” victory in the recent elections.
The PM vowed to use his fourth term in office to rebuild the country after the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking to newsmen in parliament, Rutte said “The voters of the Netherlands have given my party an overwhelming vote of confidence”.
He conceded that “not everything has gone well in the last 10 years” but said the main challenge was to rebuild the country after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I have the energy for another 10 years,” he said.
The Netherlands is one of the first major European Union economies to hold elections during the COVID-19 crisis, and voting was held over three days to prevent spreading of the virus.
With a night-time curfew in place due to continuing high infection rates, and a ban on public gatherings during the day, the campaign was conducted mostly through television debates.
The Netherlands is currently under its most stringent health measures yet including the curfew and closure of bars and restaurants.
Millions of masked voters cast their ballots in pandemic conditions at museums, churches and bike-through polling stations on the third and final day of the elections, which have been dominated by the government’s response to the pandemic.
Reports said roughly 13 million voters were eligible to pick from dozens of parties contesting spots.
