By Richard Carter with Jan Hennop in Enschede AFP
Far-right firebrand Geert Wilders confronted an uphill wrestle Thursday to woo rivals for a coalition authorities after a “monster victory” in Dutch elections that shook the Netherlands and Europe.
His PVV (Freedom Social gathering) gained 37 seats in parliament, greater than doubling his share from the final election and outstripping opponents, in accordance with close to full outcomes.
A left-wing bloc trailed far behind on 25 seats, with the centre-right VVD on 24, a catastrophic end result for the social gathering of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Wilders, 60, now has the daunting job of attempting to kind a working coalition, courting rivals that categorically dominated out serving in a PVV-led authorities earlier than the vote.
The sudden landslide win prompted speedy congratulations from fellow far-right leaders in France and Hungary however will probably increase fears in Brussels — Wilders is anti-EU and desires a vote on a “Nexit” to go away the bloc.
Though he softened his anti-Islam rhetoric throughout the marketing campaign, the PVV programme pledges a ban on the Koran, mosques and Islamic headscarves and Muslim neighborhood leaders within the Netherlands had been fast to voice concern.
“I don’t know if Muslims are nonetheless protected within the Netherlands. I’m apprehensive about this nation,” Habib el Kaddouri from the SMN affiliation of Moroccan Dutch, informed native company ANP.
Lizette Keyzer, a 60-year-old enterprise supervisor from Enschede within the east of the Netherlands, mentioned she had “coronary heart palpitations” when the exit ballot outcomes got here out.
The nation “goes in a right-wing route. We hope that this doesn’t utterly turn into the case”, added Keyzer.
– Tsunami –
Addressing cheering supporters in The Hague after exit polls, Wilders doubled down on his anti-immigrant rhetoric, saying the Dutch had voted to stem the “tsunami” of asylum-seekers.
“The PVV can now not be ignored,” he cried, urging different events to do a cope with him.
However it’s not clear how he can scrape collectively the 76 seats he wants for a majority within the 150-seat parliament.
Former European Commissioner Frans Timmermans, whose Inexperienced/Labour bloc got here in second, instantly dominated out cooperation, saying it was now their job to “defend democracy” within the nation.
Anti-corruption champion Pieter Omtzigt, whose New Social Contract social gathering scored 20 seats, appears sure to play a job and indicated he was “accessible” for talks, admitting they wouldn’t be simple.
Dilan Yesilgoz, who led the centre-right VVD to a disappointing 24 seats, was coy on election evening, saying Wilders must see if he can forge a coalition.
She first opened the door to Wilders becoming a member of a VVD-led authorities however has harassed she wouldn’t serve below him.
Diederick van Wijk from the Clingendael Institute informed AFP the Netherlands was now in “uncharted territory” after the “landslide victory” of Wilders.
“A Prime Minister Wilders may very well be inside attain,” he mentioned.
– ‘Winds of change’ –
The Dutch lurch to the far-right comes after Italy elected Giorgia Meloni as prime minister.
Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed “winds of change” after the exit ballot, whereas France’s Marine Le Pen cheered his “spectacular efficiency.”
And though Wilders pledged he can be prime minister “for all of the Dutch”, his anti-Muslim rants up to now have earned him the sobriquet “Dutch Trump” — additionally a reference to his dyed, slicked-back coiffure.
He was discovered responsible of discrimination in 2016 after main a crowd chanting for “fewer” Moroccans within the Netherlands and has beforehand likened the Koran to Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”, saying each books must be banned.
With hallmark Wilders rhetoric, the PVV manifesto says: “Asylum-seekers feast on pleasant free cruise-ship buffets whereas Dutch households have to chop again on groceries.”
“We wish much less Islam within the Netherlands and we are going to obtain that by: much less non-Western immigration and the introduction of a common halt to asylum,” says the programme.
A “binding referendum” can be held on a “Nexit” — the concept of the Netherlands leaving the EU. The PVV additionally requires an “speedy halt” to growth help.
On international coverage, the parallels to Trump are clear. “Netherlands first,” trumpeted the manifesto.
Dutch media had been left agog by the margin of Wilders’ victory.
“Nobody anticipated this, not even the winner himself,” mentioned the Trouw day by day. Even the normally unexcitable NOS public broadcaster known as it a “monster victory”, a phrase that featured in a number of media.
The Financieele Dagblad mentioned the end result “turns politics in The Hague on its head” whereas the NRC day by day describes it as a “right-wing populist revolt that can shake the Binnenhof to its foundations”, referring to the federal government quarter in The Hague.
