In yet another sign of a global political shift, the right-wing populist Party for Freedom in the Netherlands is projected to win a large plurality. According to exit polling, the PVV will pick up at least 35 seats while the current ruling coalition will combine for 37 losses while only winning 41 seats total.
That makes Geert Wilders, the founder of the Party for Freedom, the big winner. It also means an absolute meltdown has already started given how much Wilders is hated by the European left.
The Netherlands has been in the midst of a soft political revolution over the last several years centering on climate change policies and the influx of Muslim immigration into the European country. As RedState reported, mass protests were held throughout 2022 after the ruling government signed a climate change agreement that would see Dutch farmers decimated due to restrictive emissions standards. It looks like those farmers have gotten their revenge while also securing their futures.
Immigration has also been a major issue as millions upon millions of Muslim refugees have entered Europe over the last decade as a result of civil wars in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere. That has pushed welfare spending to the brink and caused crime to spike. Still, few EU governments have had the courage to react, seemingly for fear of being accused of bigotry. To be clear, Wilders has no such concerns.
"It's been enough now. The Netherlands can't take it anymore. We have to think about our own people first now. Borders closed. Zero asylum seekers," Wilders said in a television debate on the eve of the election.
It didn't take long for the fear-mongering to begin. Already, American press outlets are rushing to describe Wilders as "far-right" and "controversial." The academics are joining in as well, claiming this could be a "watershed moment for liberal democracies."
I've got a really excellent idea for Abou-Chadi and anyone else who is concerned about the "far-right" winning elections (which is the definition of democracy). Maybe be less terrible? I know it's a long shot, but perhaps stop ignoring the will of the people in pursuit of some demented idea of world governance and just do things that make the lives of your citizens better.
The arrogance of the global left is being put in check right now, and the EU is at the center of that. Wilders wants to leave the union altogether, and I hope he succeeds.