Populist Anti-Islam Politician Geert Wilders Achieves Shock Win In Dutch Elections
23.11.2023 - 12:19
/ deadline.com
Controversial, far-right politician Geert Wilders could be on track to become the Netherlands’ next prime minister following a surprise victory in general elections overnight.
Preliminary figures showed that Wilders’ right-wing Freedom Party (PVV) has gained 37 seats, putting it ahead of the GreenLeft-Labour party (GL/Pvda) alliance with 25 seats and the liberal-conservative Freedom and Democracy Party (VVD) with 25 seats.
The result marks a dramatic change in political fortunes for Wilders, whose PVV party won just 17 seats in snap elections in 2021, following the collapse of a coalition government led by Mark Rutte.
Wilders’ controversial policies include an extreme clampdown on immigration; a referendum on the Netherlands leaving the European Union, or “Nexit”, and Islamophobic measures including the suppression of Islamic schools, the Koran and mosques, although he cannot put the latter ambition in motion under Dutch laws protecting freedom of religion and expression.
Wilders made it clear in his victory speech that he expects his party to play a key role in governing the country, although it is not certain he will be able to build the 76-seat coalition required to take power in the 150-seat parliament.
“The PVV can no longer be ignored… We will govern,” Wilders said in his victory speech, adding: “The Netherlands has hope… the people of the Netherlands will get their country back and the tsunami of refugees and immigrants will be limited.”
Wilders created his right-wing PVV party in 2006. His extreme views on hot topics such as immigration have led to him being previously dismissed as a provocative, fringe politician with little real political clout.
His rhetoric has led to a number of attempts on his life and he