THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom and the centrist D66 were were tied with 98% votes counted in the Dutch general election in an unprecedented neck-and-neck race to become the biggest party.

The near total vote count showed each party winning 26 seats in Wednesday’s election.

The difference between the two leading parties was just over 2,000 votes nationwide, according to the vote count tallied and published by Dutch national news agency ANP and cited by Dutch media.

The nail-biting finish is expected to lead to delays in starting the process of forming a new coalition. No Dutch election has previously ended with two parties tied for the lead.

Wilders’ Party for Freedom is forecast to lose 11 seats in the 150-seat House of Repr

See Full Page