Pro-Europe Party Wins Dutch Vote

Centrist Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has claimed victory on Thursday in his country’s elections, while the anti-immigrant, anti-European Union party took heavy losses. Another pan-European party, the center-left Labor party, came in a close second—signaling that the Dutch are seeking to work with Europe for a solution to the economic crisis. The move toward the center for the Netherlands represents a change in the pattern of recent elections, and Geert Wilders’s anti-immigrant Freedom Party—which has gained traction in the past few years—is expected to only win 15 seats, down nine from its previous 24. The provisional final vote is expected to be announced later Thursday with the final results on Monday.