Who is Geert Wilders and what does he need? – POLITICO

Geert Wilders, along with his peroxide blond hair and fiery rhetoric, has lengthy been one of many Netherlands’ best-known lawmakers at home and overseas. Nicknamed the Dutch Donald Trump, he’s well-known for his strident campaigning towards immigration, the European Union and particularly Islam. 

Now he’s in pole position to develop into the nation’s subsequent prime minister, after profitable a shock victory in Wednesday’s common election. All he must do is persuade potential coalition companions in different events to work with him. How arduous might that be?

Wilders began his political profession as a member of parliament in 1998, first for the center-right VVD, the place he mentored a young Mark Rutte, earlier than quitting the social gathering and organising his personal Party for Freedom in 2006. That makes him the longest-serving lawmaker within the Dutch parliament.

He married Krisztina Márfai, a former Hungarian diplomat, in 1992. The couple wouldn’t have kids, however do personal two cats, Snoetje and Pluisje, who’ve their very own account on X with practically 23,000 followers.

Why is he so controversial?

As a political chief Wilders is thought for his inflammatory language, having described Islam as a “totalitarian ideology” and known as 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, in addition to the time he spent in a kibbutz in Israel. His election program known as for a ban on the Quran, mosques and all Islamic colleges, in addition to on Islamic headscarves in authorities buildings. 

Several years in the past a court docket convicted him of insulting a bunch of individuals based mostly on their background after he known as for “fewer Moroccans” in a 2014 speech. 

He’s additionally not averse to attacking different politicians in brutal phrases, calling outgoing Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag a “witch” and fat-shaming his opponent, Frans Timmermans, throughout a debate.

Wilders’ anti-Islam rhetoric has made him a goal for extremists and led to his dwelling beneath 24/7 safety, shifting from one protected home to a different for the previous twenty years. 

During an election-night social gathering in a restaurant on the Dutch coast, Wilders was flanked by safety guards and was whisked out and in of the venue, which had beforehand been screened by dogs and particular police items. 

What are his insurance policies?

Wilders’ essential marketing campaign pledge was to cease the “asylum tsunami,” which he blamed for varied social issues together with the nation’s housing scarcity and excessive well being prices. 

Accordingly, he has known as for an finish to asylum for refugees and to the free motion of labor inside the EU, proposing that work visas be launched for some. He additionally desires short-term asylum permits for Syrians to be revoked, and for criminals to be stripped of their Dutch nationality and deported.

Unlike different far-right figures, Wilders will not be a climate-denier, though he believes that the federal government has spent an excessive amount of on decreasing CO2 emissions. He has advocated that coal and fuel energy stations stay open, and proposes to halt the development of photo voltaic parks and wind generators. He additionally desires to withdraw the Netherlands from the U.N.’s Paris local weather settlement. 

Instead, he preaches local weather adaptation — strengthening dykes and investing in tasks that might permit rivers to overflow sometimes. 

A hardline Euroskeptic, Wilders has known as for a “Nexit” referendum on leaving the EU, and needs opt-outs from EU rules on asylum and migration. 

What does the remainder of the world assume?

The Dutch election is the latest in a sequence of votes which are altering Europe’s political panorama, with far-right events additionally on the rise in Italy, Germany and France. 

Wilders was congratulated by his political associates Marine Le Pen in France and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who stated “the wings of change are here.” 

In Kyiv the outcomes will probably be met with fear. Like different far-right leaders on the Continent, Wilders has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, and railed towards what he described in 2017 as “hysterical Russophobia” in Europe.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine final yr, Wilders has distanced himself considerably from the Kremlin, calling the attack a mistake. 

Nevertheless, in one of many last debates previous to the election, Wilders stated he wouldn’t assist sending Ukraine extra money and weapons; these sources, he stated, are wanted for the Netherlands’ personal military. The nation’s caretaker authorities, conversely, is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has simply allotted over €2 billion in support for Kyiv subsequent yr. 

Wilders is a agency backer of Israel and advocates shifting the Netherlands’ embassy there to Jerusalem whereas closing the Dutch diplomatic submit in Ramallah, home of the Palestinian Authority.

Following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, he stated that “Israel is fighting for its existence” towards “the forces of hate, barbarism and terrorism.” 

Will he be PM?

Wilders secured 25 p.c of the vote, which is loads in a highly-fractured electoral system, however not sufficient for a majority within the parliament. That means he’ll must type a coalition authorities with two or three different events earlier than he can take energy. 

That’s simpler stated than achieved, as mainstream events within the Netherlands are reluctant to affix forces with the far proper and have saved Wilders out of presidency for greater than a decade. The scale of his victory, nevertheless, will strengthen his hand in negotiations.

In a victory speech on Wednesday, Wilders known as on different events to have interaction constructively in coalition talks, and even instructed he could be prepared to compromise on his anti-Muslim stance with a purpose to type a authorities. “I understand very well that parties do not want to be in a government with a party that wants unconstitutional measures,” he stated. “We are not going to talk about mosques, Qurans and Islamic schools.”

Although Pieter Omtzigt, who constructed a centrist social gathering from scratch in three months to take an estimated 20 seats within the election, had beforehand dominated out becoming a member of forces with Wilders, he stated on Wednesday night time that he could be open to talks, and declined to rule out any potential companions.

Dilan Yeşilgöz, who changed PM Mark Rutte because the VVD social gathering’s chief, has additionally stated she was open to the thought of becoming a member of forces with Wilders’ PVV — however this week dominated out supporting him as prime minister.