In a boost for EU unity in fighting the continent's debt crisis, the two mainstream pro-EU parties defeated the Socialist party and eurosceptic populist Geert Wilders, whose party suffered big losses.
With 98% of votes counted, Mr Rutte's VVD party surged to 41 seats in the 150-member Dutch parliament and could theoretically form a coalition with the centre-left Labour party of Diederik Samsom, which pushed up its tally of seats to 39.
Contextual targeting label:
Local government
