 "Meet Geert Wilders, the next likely prime minister of the Netherlands")
Geert Wilders has long been one of the most well-known lawmakers in the Netherlands and abroad. Nicknamed the Dutch Donald Trump, he is famous for his strident campaigning against immigration, the European Union (EU), and, in particular, Islam.
Now, he’s in pole position to become the country’s next prime minister, after a surprising victory in Wednesday’s general election. All he has to do now is persuade potential coalition partners in other parties to join forces with him.
About Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders started his political career as a member of parliament in 1998, first for the centre-right VVD, where he mentored a young Mark Rutte, before leaving the party and setting up his own Party for Freedom in 2006. That makes him the longest-serving member of the Dutch parliament.
Wilders married Krisztina Marfai, a former Hungarian diplomat, in 1992. The couple has no children. However, they have two cats, Snoetje and Pluisje, who have their own account on X with nearly 23,000 followers.
Why is Wilders so controversial?
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As a political leader, Wilders is known for his harsh language, having labelled Islam a “totalitarian ideology” and Moroccans “scum".
Wilders has stated that his aversion to Islam was fueled by the assassination of the anti-Islam filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004, as well as his stay in a kibbutz (communal settlement) in Israel. His election campaign called for a ban on the Quran, mosques and all Islamic schools, as well as on Islamic headscarves in government buildings.
He was also convicted of insulting a group of people based on their ethnicity after he called for “fewer Moroccans” in a 2014 speech.
He’s also not averse to attacking other politicians, such as calling outgoing Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag a “witch” and fat-shaming his opponent, Frans Timmermans, during a debate.
Wilders’ anti-Islam stance has made him a target for extremists and led to his living under 24/7 protection, moving from one safe house to another for the past two decades.
Geert Wilders on Nupur Sharma, Kashmir
In 2022, Wilders made headlines in India after he defended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad. “Appeasement never works. It will only make things worse. So, my dear friends from India, don't be intimidated by Islamic countries. Stand up for freedom and be proud and steadfast in defending your politician Nupur Sharma who spoke the truth…,” he had said.
Wilders had also supported the Indian government's decision to scrap Articles 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir. "India is a full democracy. Pakistan is a 100 per cent terror state. So the choice is easy. Welcome home Kashmir. #IndiaForKashmir," Wilders had posted.
What are Geert Wilders' policies?
Wilders’ main campaign promise was to stop the “asylum tsunami,” which he blamed for a variety of socioeconomic issues, including the country’s housing shortage and healthcare expenses.
As a result, he has called for an end to refugee asylum and to the free movement of labour within the EU, suggesting the introduction of work visas for some.
Wilders also wants temporary asylum permits for Syrians to be revoked and for criminals to be stripped of their Dutch nationality and deported.
Unlike other far-right leaders, Wilders is not a climate change-denier, though he believes that the government has spent too much on reducing carbon dioxide emissions. He has advocated for the continued operation of coal and gas power stations and has proposed to halt the construction of solar parks and wind turbines. He also wants the Netherlands to withdraw from the UN’s Paris climate agreement.
Instead, he preaches climate adaptation, such as strengthening dykes and investing in projects that would allow rivers to overflow occasionally.
A hardline Eurosceptic, Wilders has called for a “Nexit” referendum on leaving the EU, and seeks exemptions from EU regulations on asylum and migration.
Will Wilders be the next PM?
Wilders received 25 per cent of the vote, which is significant in a highly-fractured electoral system but not enough to secure a parliamentary majority. That means he’ll have to form a coalition government with two or three other parties before assuming power.
That is easier said than done, as mainstream parties in the Netherlands are reluctant to form alliances with the far-right and have kept Wilders out of government for more than a decade. The magnitude of his triumph, on the other hand, will give him an advantage in negotiations.
In his victory speech on Wednesday, Wilders urged other parties to engage constructively in coalition talks and even suggested that he would be willing to compromise on his anti-Muslim stance in order to form a government.
Although Pieter Omtzigt, who formed a centrist party from scratch in three months to win an estimated 20 seats in the election, had previously ruled out working with Wilders, he said on Wednesday night that he would open to negotiations, and declined to rule out any potential partners.
Dilan Yeşilgöz, who succeeded PM Mark Rutte as the VVD party’s leader, has also said she was open to the idea of joining forces with Wilders’ PVV, but has ruled out backing him as prime minister this week.