The parliamentary elections held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2023 are likely to create a shock effect in Europe. The fact that the Netherlands has been in political conflicts recently, and that such religious divisions were evident in previous years, underlines that history is repeating itself. In a period of political turmoil, the Netherlands elected its first far-right prime minister since the Second World War.
The election was called after the fourth and final coalition formed by outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte resigned in July after they failed to agree on measures to prevent migration.
According to the Dutch National Channel, the far-right, anti-Islamic populist Geert Wilders won 35 seats in parliament, doubling the 17 seats he won in the last elections. Geert Wilders, who shared his joy on social media upon receiving this news, has also set the calls for a referendum for the Netherlands to leave the European Union, to stop accepting asylum seekers completely and to push back migrants at the Dutch borders as election targets.[1]
With his persistent statements on immigrants, he has also emphasized his effort to single nationalize the Netherlands. He emphasized this in his election campaign with the following words:
“The Dutchman will be first again. The Netherlands has hope. The Dutch people will take back their country and the tsunami of refugees and migrants will be contained.”[2]
Another promise was “not to Islamize the Netherlands”. He also used the idea of “Nexit”, the idea of leaving the European Union, in his election campaign. Wilders, who is considered as the Donald Trump of the Netherlands with these discourses, has to establish a joint commission with other parties that do not support these ideas. Although the fact that he has a large number of seats strengthens him, it is thought to cause conflict because other opposition parties do not assimilate Wilders’ ideas. Wilders, on the other hand, has expressed that he is very much in favor of this situation.
The closest party to Wilders’ party is the center-left Labor Party and Green Left alliance, which won 26 seats. However, the leader of the party, Frans Timmermans, has made it clear that he does not trust a coalition with Wilders and that he has different opinions: [3]
“And in the coming days and weeks, we will see more and more how difficult, how important and how necessary it is to stand up for the Netherlands where we do not exclude anyone, to stand up for the Netherlands where we embrace everyone, to stand up for the Netherlands where we do not look at what your background is, what your religion is, what your skin color is.”
A staunch supporter of Israel, Wilders has advocated moving the Dutch Embassy to Jerusalem and closing the Dutch diplomatic mission in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority.[4]
In addition, former Prime Minister Mark Rutte was replaced by Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius, a former refugee from Turkey who could become the country’s first female prime minister if her party wins the most votes. Instead, it is projected to lose 11 seats and remain at 23.
Yeşilgöz said it was up to Wilders’ party colleagues to decide how he would respond on coalitions. She insisted before the election that she would not serve in a Wilders-led cabinet, but did not rule out working with him if he won.[5]
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was one of the first to congratulate Wilders as a leader who likewise emphasized Hungary’s change and made harsh remarks on EU institutions.
With this result, the recent parliamentary elections in the Netherlands signal a remarkable change in Europe’s political arena. With the recent elections in Italy, the far-right wave has started to manifest itself in other countries as well. The new political landscape of the Netherlands is likely to spark debates not only within the country but also across Europe.
[1] Mike Corder-Raf Casert, “Anti-Islam Populist Wilders Heading For A Massive Win in Netherlands in A Shock For Europe”, AP News, https://apnews.com/article/netherlands-election-candidates-prime-minister-f31f57a856f006ff0f2fc4984acaca6b, (Erişim Tarihi: 23.11.2023).
[2] “Far Right PVV Is Clear Winner in Dutch Election With 25% Support”, Dutch News, https://www.dutchnews.nl/2023/11/far-right-pvv-is-clear-winner-in-dutch-election-with-25-support/, (Erişim Tarihi: 23.11.2023).
[3] Same place.
[4] Mike Corder, “Dutch Election Winner Geert Wilders Is An Anti-Islam Firebrand Known As The Dutch Donald Trump”, AP News, https://apnews.com/article/wilders-netherlands-islam-trump-8efc30fa18dd9c4a0da21b25eca9e01d, (Erişim Tarihi: 23.11.2023).
[5] Paul Kirby-Anna Holligan, “Dutch Election: Anti-Islam Populist Geert Wilders Wins Dramatic Victory”, BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67504272, (Erişim Tarihi: 23.11.2023).
