Geert Wilders Poised for Major Parliamentary Election Victory in the Netherlands
Far-right, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders is expected to secure a major parliamentary election victory in the Netherlands, according to exit polls and local news reports. This outcome would mark one of the biggest election upsets for Dutch politics in decades.
The exit poll, published by national broadcaster NOS, indicates that Wilders is expected to reach 35 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, more than double the number of seats he won in 2021. Following closely behind is Frans Timmermans’s Labour/Green Left combination, who is 10 seats behind Wilders.
If elected, Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), would be able to initiate talks for a new ruling coalition and could potentially become the Netherlands’s first hard-right prime minister.
However, in order to take office, Wilders would need to form a coalition government, a task that may prove challenging without the support of mainstream parties. Wilders reportedly toned down some of his stances during the final weeks of the campaign, likely in an attempt to appeal to opposing parties.
Wilders’s platform includes the potential for a referendum on the Netherlands opting out of the European Union and stopping the acceptance of asylum-seekers at Dutch borders. He has also been an advocate of the “de-Islamization” of the Netherlands, calling for the barring of mosques and the Quran, while making controversial statements about the prophet Muhammad and Islam.
These views have sparked death threats and violent protests, leading Wilders to live under heavy police protection in recent years.
The exit poll has a margin of error of one seat, and a final result is expected to be announced soon, according to NOS.
Should Wilders secure a victory, it would mark a significant shift in Dutch politics and have potential ramifications on the country’s future relations with the European Union and its immigration policies.