Photo: Buurserstraat38 – Photo deposit

In the Dutch election, the Freedom Party (PVV) led by Geert Wilders won the most seats based on the results of two exit polls. The voters have spoken, and Wilders stressed that the PVV can no longer be ignored. He invited other political parties to work together and encouraged them to compromise. At the same time, he acknowledged that PVV must also be ready to cooperate. Despite the fact that many parties have previously excluded Wilders from forming coalitions, he remains firm in his intention to govern.

“Immigration is clearly at the heart of this election fight,” said Van Grieken (chairman of Belgium’s Vlaams Belang). “That’s understandable. The importance and influence of immigration is enormous and certainly should not be underestimated. In fact, left-wing parties, because of their lack of attention to the interests of citizens, suffered a major defeat in the Netherlands tonight.”

According to some voters, in the past the largest groups of society were not listened to enough and decisions were often made by small groups hiding behind Europe to make some decisions, without considering the opinion of the wider Dutch society. The election results reflect growing dissatisfaction with this.

International

The extraordinary achievements of the PVV political party led by Geert Wilders have also attracted international attention. French media pointed to concerns in Brussels over the result, while far-right French politician Marine Le Pen hailed the result as an ‘impressive achievement’.

Belgian media emphasized that the PVV can now call itself the largest party in the Netherlands, and mentioned Wilders’ willingness to work with other parties in his victory speech. In England there was talk of a shock result that would shake up Dutch politics.

Dutch journalists expressed their shock, and international media such as the BBC reflected on the consequences of Wilders’ victory for Europe, especially given his desire to hold a referendum on EU membership. German media called this victory ‘historic’ and emphasized the struggle between various political movements in the Netherlands.

American media, such as the New York Times, called Wilders a controversial figure (political provocateur) with a history of criticism of immigration and Islam, and stated that the results could send shockwaves throughout Europe.