The Netherlands is set to have its youngest-ever prime minister after centrist leader Rob Jetten pulled ahead in the country’s general election, dealing a setback to long-time far-right figure Geert Wilders.

The 38-year-old Jetten, who leads the D66 party, was projected to win 27 of the 150 parliamentary seats with about half of all votes counted, according to an Ipsos exit poll.

Wilders’ Freedom Party was close behind with 25 seats.

According to SkyNews, the result comes two years after Jetten led D66 to victory with 37 seats, though coalition partners then declined to back him as prime minister. He will still need to form a coalition this time, requiring at least 76 seats for a majority, meaning talks with several parties are likely to take weeks or months.

Wilders, known for his anti-Islam rhetoric and hardline policies on immigration, triggered the election after bringing down the government in June over its refusal to adopt his proposals. “I regret the loss,” he said early Thursday. “But it’s not as if we were wiped off the map.”

He also congratulated Jetten on his victory.

Jetten, who could become the Netherlands’ first openly gay prime minister, campaigned on addressing the housing crisis, improving education, and managing immigration. Like other mainstream contenders, he has pledged continued support for Ukraine, NATO, and the EU.

“We’ve shown not only to the Netherlands, but also to the world that it is possible to beat populist and extreme right movements,” Jetten told supporters after results began to emerge.