The PVV of Geert Wilders is the winner of the national elections in the Netherlands on Nov. 22, with 37 seats—20 more than in the last elections, visibly ahead of the PvdA/Greens with their 25 seats and the outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD, which lost 12 seats, left with 24 seats remaining to it. A newly-created party, the NSC, gained 20 seats. The farmers’ party, BBB, gained 7 seats. Ten other parties got 5 or fewer seats each.
Certainly, the anti-migrant views of Wilders played an important role in the election result, although on election night, he retreated from some of his more radical policies, such banning the Quran—to open the door to potential coalition partners to make a government; he needs at least two other parties to have a majority in the 150-member national parliament. The BBB may enter the coalition. Wilders actually attended their big rally several weeks back, which was also addressed by the Schiller Institute’s Bob Baker.
Wilders’ record of pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian views is highly problematic. However, he is opposing the EU policy against Russia. His PVV is expected to form a coalition with the VVD and some of the minor parties that received between 3 and 7% of votes.
