The Netherlands woke up the day after its elections to exceptionally warm weather, announcing the start of spring. But the high-strung commentary from the international media and assorted heads of state made it seem like the country had jumped straight from winter to summer.

For months, opinion polls projected that the Netherlands would be the next country to experience a far-right victory. The fact that Geert Wilders’s Party for Freedom (PVV) finished second, then, could be spun as a win for politically moderate forces. But the Left cannot be so complacent.

The election results, hailed by liberal commentators as a success for the center, in fact mark a dual victory for the far right.