Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed victory in the Dutch elections, after voters in the Netherlands strongly backed the pro-European parties. Rutte's liberal VVD party won the most seats, with the centre-left labour party a close second.

As the parties favouring pan-European co-operation did well in the polls, it was the Freedom Party headed by notorious politician Geert Wilders that suffered disappointment. The right-wing, Eurosceptic and anti-Islam party looked on course to win only 15 seats, nine less than in the last elections.

The Liberals and Labour have enough seats to form a coalition government, but will need to come to an agreement over how to solve the Eurozone crisis. Mr Rutte's policy is similar to that of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, imposing strict austerity measures designed to bring down the country's deficit. The Labour party meanwhile favour increasing spending and raising taxes on the rich.

Written and presented by Alfred Joyner