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Among the closest votes in Netherlands history produced an outcome so close that initial moves in forming a new coalition government are still pending.

But, at a time when the forward march of the far right across Europe is making news, eroding the confidence of mainstream parties, one encouraging conclusion was immediately clear: a more unifying kind of politics can still resonate with the public, if it is prosecuted with determination and style.

The Major and Surprising Victor

The surprising victor of last week’s election was 38-year-old Rob Jetten, the dynamic leader of the moderate liberal group D66, which almost tripled its vote and is set to top the polls by a narrow margin.

Building his platform on the Obama-style slogan “Yes we can,” Mr. Jetten presented himself as an hopeful bridge-builder to an electorate weary of the polarising politics of Geert Wilders, whose anti-immigrant Freedom party (PVV) dominated the outgoing coalition.

He now has a very good chance of being the country’s most youthful prime minister.

Reports of the Death of the Center Ground

Rumours of the death of Europe’s center ground may have been exaggerated after all.

But the jubilation should not be excessive.

Naturally elated, Mr. Jetten told his followers after the election: “We have moved on on Wilders.”

For the time being, that is accurate.

Mr. Wilders’ mainstream coalition partners have no plan of working with him again, following his decision to collapse the last government when it failed to enact his hardline anti‑immigration plans.

The Freedom Party’s Decline and the Political Backdrop

But the PVV’s drop in the polls still left it almost level with D66 in first place, and the Netherlands’ political scene remains fixed on the same page in relation to the radical right overall.

Most of Mr. Wilders’ declining support went to competing groups with similar agendas.

As political scientists have pointed out, their combined representation in the next parliament will in fact be somewhat larger than before.

By contrast, the centre-left had a miserable night, culminating in the resignation of the Green Left/Labour Alliance leader and former European commissioner Frans Timmermans.

A Major Challenge for the Next Government

That political backdrop means that a coming moderate government, perhaps presided over by Mr. Jetten, will bear a significant burden.

The D66 campaign maintained that a disorderly divisive approach was insufficient to the task of solving a massive housing shortage, prohibitive healthcare costs and concerns over immigration.

Its argument landed because of the chaotic performance of Mr. Wilders’ party in power.

But a failure to deliver substantive reform from the centre could trigger a still darker backlash.

Grounds for Optimism

For now, though, Mr. Jetten’s rapid rise as a political star offers forward-thinking groups much-needed reasons to be hopeful.

Given significant power after the PVV’s comfortable election victory two years ago, Mr. Wilders comprehensively blew it.

The approach of optimism and collaboration are back in fashion in the Netherlands, and a pro‑European, environmentally focused leader may be in charge of the country next year.

An Example for Different Countries

In countries such as France, Germany and Britain, where the middle has largely endured to now, the situation are not quite the same.

Nevertheless, as mainstream parties allow radical right issues to shape the political agenda, the rise of D66 is a case study in how to do things differently.

Mr. Jetten should be applauded for showing that, if provided the opportunity, “optimism over hostility” strategies can succeed.