THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders won a huge victory in Dutch elections, according to a nearly complete count of the vote early Thursday, in a stunning lurch to the far right for a nation once famed as a beacon of tolerance.
The result will send shockwaves through Europe, where far-right ideology is on the rise, and puts Wilders in line to lead talks to form the next governing coalition and possibly become the first far-right prime minister of the Netherlands.
With nearly all votes counted, Wilders’ Party for Freedom was forecast to win 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, two more than predicted by an exit poll when voting finished Wednesday night and more than double the 17 he won in the last election.Political parties were set to hold separate meetings Thursday to discuss the outcome before what is likely to be an arduous process of forming a new governing coalition begins Friday.
Despite his harsh rhetoric, Wilders has already begun courting other right and center parties by saying in a victory speech that whatever policies he pushes will be “within the law and constitution.”
Wilders is known as the “Dutch Trump,” partly for his swept-back dyed hairstyle that resembles that of the former US president, but also for his rants against immigrants and Muslims.
From calling Moroccans “scum” to holding competitions for cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Wilders has built a career from his self-appointed mission to stop an “Islamic invasion” of the West.During the campaign, he sought to tone down his message, saying he could put some of his more strident views on Islam “in the freezer.”
He stressed he would be prime minister for everyone “regardless of their religion, background, sex or whatever,” insisting the cost-of-living crisis was a bigger priority.