Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders has won a dramatic victory in the Dutch general election, with his Freedom Party (PVV) projected to win 37 seats in the 150-seat parliament. The result, based on 94% of votes counted, puts Wilders well ahead of his nearest rival, a left-wing alliance led by Frans Timmermans, which came second with 25 seats.
Wilders, who has been in parliament for 25 years, declared: “The PVV can no longer be ignored. We will govern.” He now faces the challenge of forming a coalition to reach the 76-seat majority. He told the BBC he was willing to negotiate and compromise, but before the election three major parties ruled out working with him.
The centre-right VVD under Dilan Yesilgóz, which came third, and the new New Social Contract party led by Pieter Omtzigt have both congratulated Wilders. While Yesilgóz doubts he can secure a majority, she has left the door open for her party to decide on cooperation. Omtzigt initially ruled out collaboration but now says his party is “available to turn this trust into action”.
Wilders tempered his anti-Islam rhetoric during the campaign, shelving plans to ban mosques and the Koran, and focused instead on migration. He promised to tackle a “tsunami of asylum and immigration”, tapping into public frustration over a housing shortage and a doubling of net migration last year to over 220,000.
The victory has sent shockwaves across Europe. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said it “confirms the growing attachment to the defence of national identities”. Wilders has previously called for a Nexit referendum, but he acknowledges there is no national mood for leaving the EU, and any coalition partner is unlikely to support it.
