Curiosity is high as the 29 October Dutch elections draw near. Will the elections impact the country as some expects, content or be the same old elections as the people think? Election polls show far-right Geert Wilders leads. With the surge of politically contested viewpoints, his opinions on Islam as well as immigration are controversial, considering the rise in world policies on immigration puts Wilders in focus.
The PVV is likely to win the most seats in parliament
This swell in Wilders’ support most likely stems from his recent portrayal of his campaign as seeking a ‘referendum’ on the Netherlands’ immigration policies as well as the EU, and advocating for the changes to the country’s immigration policies.
Many Dutch citizens have growing concerns about the housing crisis and related costs that influence the overall economic security of families, and the country overall.
These elections come in the wake of the previous coalition government crumbling and two disparate parliamentary factions aiming to come to a tentative political ‘agreement’ on asylum reforms.
Wilders’ strategies, meant to capture voter discontent, pitch him as a self-styled extremist alternative to the lack of establishment political promises to ‘put the Netherlands first’
Wilders’ agenda revolves around immigration
Wilder seeks to close shelters, reduce asylum seekers, and make citizenship laws stricter. His anti-Islam and anti-EU comments to voters who feel marginalized by mainstream politics.
His supporters feel that globalization and mass migration have left the ordinary Dutch citizens with little to no representation, and that Wilders is their voice.
In contrast, some critics predict the adoption of policies that pose risks to the sacrifice of democratic principles and social cohesion.
His opponents predict that a PVV victory would draw the Netherlands out of the European Union and would stamp a negative image of the country’s tolerance and diversity.
Wilders is ahead in the polls, but forming a government will be tricky
Due to the Dutch political system, which is based on proportional representation, no single political party wins a majority of the votes.
Most mainstream political parties have also ruled out forming a government with Wilders due to the extreme nature of his proposed governance.
VVD stands for the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy. Most center-right parties refer to the VVD as their most important center-right political party.
VVD keeps stating that they refuse to collaborate with the PVV. This argument was also made by peers from the center and the left. The justification given was that working with Wilders would mean the party had taken steps and collaborated with the far-right political party.
This leaves Wilders with a unique situation. It is possible that he would win the election and still be excluded from the power he would need to exercise.
Steps taken to widen the political divide have put the far-right on the greater end of balance
It is for the mainstream parties to step up and put the far-right parties back in their place.
Furthermore, issues concerning healthcare, the housing crisis, and the cost of living need to be addressed. Wilders and his far-right parties again place the blame on immigration. His political peers state he is wrong on his immigration blame.
Wilders will face the greatest challenges after the upcoming elections. He will need partners to govern after the elections.
If he cannot secure these alliances, other parties may form a central coalition that excludes him. According to political analysts, the elections may take Dutch politics further to the right, or they may demonstrate the Dutch political system’s traditional preference for compromise and consensus. This election is about the political balance in the Netherlands.