Geert Wilders, the prominent and controversial Dutch nationalist, appeared poised for significant electoral gains as the Netherlands commenced four days of voting in the European Parliament elections, held concurrently across the 27 EU member states.
A nationwide opinion poll released on the eve of the vote indicated a neck-and-neck race between Wilders’ anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV) and the Labour/GreenLeft alliance, with both parties projected to secure eight seats. This would mark a substantial victory for Wilders, whose party failed to win any seats in the 2019 EU elections.
Four years ago, Labour and GreenLeft won six and three seats, respectively. This election cycle, the two left-wing parties are running on a combined ticket but plan to operate as separate factions in the European Parliament post-election.
Geert Wilders has been gaining momentum in the Netherlands, bolstered by his firm stance on curbing asylum migration, which contributed to a significant victory in the general election held in November last year.
After protracted negotiations, the 60-year-old veteran politician recently finalized a deal with three other conservative parties to form a right-wing government. This coalition is anticipated to take office by the end of the month.
The newly formed government has pledged to adopt a stringent approach in Brussels, aiming for exemptions from EU asylum and environmental regulations and advocating for a considerable reduction in the Netherlands’ financial contributions to the EU budget.
While Wilders has historically championed the idea of the Netherlands exiting the EU, he has recently moderated his position. Ahead of this election, he abandoned the push for a referendum on EU membership.
Instead, Wilders has stated that his party will focus on limiting the EU’s influence from within the parliament. He has indicated a willingness to collaborate with the far-right parties led by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen.
An exit poll is expected to be released after voting concludes in the Netherlands on Thursday at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT). The final results will be announced once polling has ended in all member states on Sunday at 2100 GMT.
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