Champagne for the socialists following Dutch elections
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: It was champagne for the Socialists after Wednesday's Dutch elections. Socialist Party leader Jan Marijnissen, a balding 53-year-old former welder, may have come in third, but he was the big winner in the balloting, snatching 26 seats — nearly three times the nine seats his party won in 2003, according to unofficial results.
Marijnissen could now become a key power broker in what analysts expect to be drawn out haggling between parties to build a new ruling coalition. Both Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, whose Christian Democrats again won the most seats, and Labor Party leader Wouter Bos were quick to congratulate a potential coalition partner.Note EU-Digest:Mr. Jan Marijnissen is not known for being a strong proponent for the EU.
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