The Dutch election climaxed in an unprecedented cliffhanger Thursday, with only a few thousand votes separating the far-right party of firebrand Geert Wilders and a pro-European centrist party.

With 99.7 percent of the vote tallied, the anti-Islam PVV Freedom Party run by Wilders was fractionally ahead of the D66 led by the energetic Rob Jetten, 38.

Every major party has ruled out working with Wilders, meaning Jetten is on track to become the country's youngest and first openly gay prime minister -- even if he comes second.

The gap was so close that overseas postal votes might decide the election, so a final result could yet take days.

With far-right parties surging in France, Britain, and Germany, the vote was closely watched as a bellwether of populist strength in Europe.

Wilders wa

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