Founder of the Party for Freedom (PVV), Geert Wilders has appeared a thorough winner after winning the most seats in the Netherlands parliamentary elections according to the country's latest exit polls, The Guardian reported.
The PVV won 37 seats out of 150, a shocking victory which holds the power to bring massive change throughout Europe.
It is far ahead of the than former Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s outgoing VVD at 24 and the left bloc at 25 seats. However, Wilders will only be able to hold office if he is able to form a coalition with other mainstream parties. He needs 76 out of 150 seats to form a government.
The 60-year-old politician started his career in the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), but left citing mainly that the party has a mild perspective of Muslims. He was also against the inclusion of Turkey in the European Union (EU). The far-right leader is known for his staunch anti-Islamic stance, despite his softened comments during the campaigning.
Earlier, around the time of Ramadan in 2021, the right-wing populist leader had also attacked Islam on twitter or X, bringing in condemnation from Turkish government officials. In 2022, Wilders backed up Nupur Sharma’s derogatory remarks on Prophet Mohammad.
The Dutch Donald Trump, as he has been widely known due to similar politics and resemblance with the former US president, seeks to ban the Quran (holy book of Muslims), mosques, and hijab (Islamic headscarves). One of his aims is to eradicate the ‘Islamisation’ of his country, and by large, the entire continent of Europe.
He has also called for a "Nexit" referendum on the Netherlands leaving the EU as well as a massive reduction in immigration. The latter promise has resonated with the Dutch voters the most.
His anti-Islamic rhetoric, including drawing parallels between Nazism and Islam, has raised concern among many Islamic and Moroccan organisations. The politician has a history of making racist insults against the Moroccan community in the Netherlands.
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