Diederik Samsom and his Labour Party have been quick to celebrate. Early in the election campaign they had been trailing the hard-left Socialists but an impressive performance by their new leader in televised debates seems to have restored their fortunes.
"It's a spectacular result," said one PvdA supporter."Forty seats! We never could have thought that such a thing was possible! It's sensational!"
One woman thought the party's success was mostly down to the leader:
"Diederik Samson has done a great job! And I think that his core message: honest politics, not raising false expectations, has made the difference. People are fed up with easy promises," she said.
So are Labour on course for a place in government?
Reporting for euronews from Amsterdam, Olaf Bruns gave his opinion:
"In the election halls of the two big parties, people are rejoicing. A government coalition without the Liberals and the Labour Party working together is thinkable. But this cooperation might prove to be difficult, after an polarising election campaign between the right and left, the like of which the Netherlands hasn't seen in a long time."
