Dutch election: Europe reacts to Wilders' victory

Sydsvenskan is pessimistic:

“Geert Wilders could turn out to be Europe's new nightmare. ... Because while he has toned down his anti-immigration rhetoric somewhat, there is no indication that he will do the same with his criticism of the EU. Although there are no signs that the Dutch electorate wants to follow in Britain's footsteps and leave the EU, a prime minister like Wilders, along with other far-right leaders, could radically change the dynamics at the European Council table. ... There's a long way to go before a Dutch government is formed. But the voters have spoken and the result does not bode well for the Netherlands' hitherto important role as Europe's most stable liberal democracy.”

Neatkarīgā sees the world slowly unravelling:

“Wilders' victory in the Netherlands is cause for concern. His anti-immigration and anti-Islamic rhetoric, which also warms the hearts of many right-wing Latvians, goes hand in hand with hostility towards the EU, opposition to aid for Ukraine and more or less direct support for Putin. In any case, Wilders' victory is hardly in Latvia's interests. It only strengthens the camp of Orbán, Fico and others. ... But this is no longer about Milei, Wilders, Orbán, Trump or other politicians. We need to talk about something that goes beyond that: about the crisis of the political system or even the collapse of the existing world order.”

For De Standaard, Wilders' election victory raises fundamental questions about how to deal with far-right parties:

“Is it democratically acceptable to sideline the clear winner? Or does his profile, which questions the pluralistic foundations of our society and has made anti-establishment extremism a way of life, weigh more heavily? ... This is a wake-up call that should prompt us to think about why cooperation with the [far-right] Vlaams Belang is impossible. ... But parties will have to use an appropriate tone in convincing voters. Anyone who belittles the work of those in power and portrays Belgium as a country that has gone down the drain should not be shocked when voters give them the middle finger.”

It is above all Wilders' relationship with Russia that sets him apart from Poland's far right, notes Krytyka Polityczna:

“Wilders' big comeback has triggered euphoria among Europe's far right: Le Pen, Salvini, the leaders of Spain's Vox party and Germany's AfD are falling over themselves with their congratulations. The politicians of the Polish Konfederacja are a little more reserved, and for good reason: while they support the anti-immigration demands directed against Muslims, such as the banning of mosques or censorship of the Koran, there is one basic problem: Wilders also wants fewer Poles. ... At the same time, the Dutch nationalist is very sympathetic towards Putin and frequently criticises the aid given to Ukraine.”

Rebublica.ro writes:

“A conservative parliament or government could stand by the veto against Bulgaria and thus make our Schengen accession impossible. ... What has us holding our breath is that there are prospects of such a coalition after the elections. ... Three parties share very conservative ideas: they all want fewer migrants, to make the right of residence more difficult and to slow down the enlargement of the EU. ... Rutte and the VVD have always been against Romania and Bulgaria joining Schengen. Wilders and his PVV have sought to initiate a referendum on the Netherlands' exit from the EU. Pieter Omtzigt of the NSC was and is also against the expansion of Schengen.”

In a Telegram post picked up by gazeta.ua, political scientist Viktor Andrusiv voices concern about whether further support will be forthcoming from the Netherlands:

“The agent Viktor Orbán is expanding his club in the EU - the Netherlands, where Geert Wilders won the election, is joining him and he is just as populist, anti-European and anti-Ukrainian. The problem is not that populists have won, but that they have an anti-Ukrainian stance. And the reason for this is that the mass of voters are starting to adopt this stance. Bad news for us, especially in view of the fact that the Netherlands was the first country to agree to supply its F-16s to Ukraine.”

NRC comments:

“The Rutte era is ending with a right-wing populist revolt that is shaking the very foundations of the Binnenhof [government district]. ... Wilders has benefited from the fact that asylum and migration are key issues for many voters. ... The result also testifies to major frustration over the state in which outgoing Prime Minister Rutte has left the Netherlands. ... In poilcy terms, a right-wing coalition between the PVV, the [right-wing liberal] VVD and [the new centre party] NSC will not be an easy proposition. The parties may agree on the aim of drastically curbing immigration to the Netherlands, and given their election programmes they may be prepared to test the limits of the country's European commitments. But cooperation on many other issues would be far more complicated.”

After Wilders' election victory other parties must overcome their qualms and consider working with him, De Telegraaf demands:

“Our asylum policy is bankrupt, the housing market is at a standstill and more and more people are struggling to make ends meet due, in part, to high energy costs. Meanwhile our country's business climate is under pressure and there are climate targets on which choices have to be made. ... There is no alternative, and one party or another will have to break their election promises regarding coalition partners. This is the only way a government can be formed in the foreseeable future. And given the aforementioned crises this is a matter of urgency.”

Club Z fears the worst after Wilders' election victory:

“Not only does he oppose our joining Schengen, but he has repeatedly called for Bulgaria and Romania to be excluded from the EU. In 2012 he launched a website where the Dutch could talk about their 'problems' with the citizens of several European countries. The homepage contained the following message: 'Are they causing you problems? Or have you lost your job because of a Pole, a Bulgarian, a Romanian or any other Central European? We'd love to hear from you.' ... It looks like our diplomats will soon have to deal with the wild racism of Wilders and his fellow campaigners for a 'problem-free' Netherlands.”

Polityka observes a broader trend in Europe:

“The Netherlands is part of a wider trend and is becoming the next country in which - as was previously the case in Italy and Sweden, among others - groups on the right within the so-called mainstream are being overtaken by the radical or anti-system right. Wilders' success gives the European nationalists a boost. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hailed a 'wind of change'. France's Marine Le Pen also rushed to congratulate Wilders and express hopes of change on the continent. The German AfD was delighted and even went overboard in stating that 'everywhere in Europe, the people want political change'.”