This week, Dutch voters sent shock waves throughout the European Union by giving 37 seats in the Parliament's Second Chamber to Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) making it the largest party in the government!
Reaction in the Muslim world was restrained.
So will Wilders become the prime minister of his country? Will his party hold a representative share of the new cabinet? Well, that all remains to be seen. The Dutch newspaper RTL Nieuws published an article yesterday laying out the possibilities. The article is translated by Fousesquawk. (The picture below is mine.)
Moderate Wilders still controversial, but PVV government not ruled out
By Pieter Munnik and Arne Hankel
23 November 2023 at 15:17. Updated 23 November 2023 at 17:06
The Party for Freedom (PVV) was the big winner in the Second Chamber (Parliamentary) elections with 37 seats. To date, the party has always remained outside the cabinet. But this campaign saw a more moderate Geert Wilders. What does that mean? This time will the PVV join (the government) and who will be the possible cabinet ministers? We lay it out.
1 How has the PVV grown into the largest (party)?
The Rutte IV cabinet fell over migration. Migration subsequently became one of the most important themes of this election campaign. It is a theme that the PVV, much more than the VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy), "owns". Voters associate the PVV with that theme.
In addition, the VVD, according to the voters, has not delivered on that theme in recent cabinets.
Moreover, a vote for the PVV this time was not thrown away because the VVD said it was ready to work together in a cabinet. In the past years, the VVD excluded the PVV.
2 What makes the PVV controversial?
The PVV is controversial from the standpoint of its position on migration and Islam. Its election platform states: "Our beautiful Netherlands has seriously deteriorated through the ongoing asylum tsunami and mass immigration."
And: "The Netherlands is not an Islamic country. No Islamic schools, Korans, and mosques". A position that is contrary to the Constitution.
Other controversial positions include, among others, the plan to leave the UN Refugee Convention, no more money to the NPO (Dutch Public Broadcasting), and the abolition of the First Chamber (Senate). The party wants to immediately abolish all development aid. Wilders also wants a binding referendum on leaving the EU, and he wants all apologies for the slavery past and police actions to be withdrawn.
In addition, the party is against Dutch support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. He called the Second Chamber a fake parliament and Sigrid Kaag a witch. Wilders also considers journalists-with some exceptions- scum.
3 Is Wilders now more moderate?
He speaks more moderately. In the campaign, Wilders said that he wanted to be a premier of all Dutch people, "no matter where you come from and what your belief is".The PVV leader also said that his party will operate within the framework of the Constitution.
Wilders also said he is willing to put some key points of the party, so to speak, "on hold". That would mean, among others, the ban on Islamic education and the Koran.
But the controversial points are still found in the party's platform.
4 How big is the chance that Wilders will join the government?
The chance certainly exists. Although VVD and NSC (New Social Contract) let it be known before the elections that this would not happen any time soon, they did not repeat that after the polls. Pieter Omtzigt from NSC emphasized that his new party is available for the national government.
On the question about cooperation with the PVV, Omtzigt said that his faction is meeting for the first time this afternoon. "Then we will talk about how we can proceed from here. But we see the need for good governance."
VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz kept her silence after the exit polls became known. This afternoon, she said after a faction meeting that the initiative to form a cabinet now lies with the "big winners" of the election, the PVV and NSC. While she had earlier said she was unwilling to join a cabinet with "Premier Wilders", she is (now) talking of a "new reality". She still provides no clarity on whether she is now willing to govern with him. She wants to let the results sink in.
5 What government candidates does the PVV have?
According to Wilders, Fleur Agema would be an outstanding minister of health. "I am itching (to do it), naturally," said Agema herself. "It would be fantastic. My heart skips a beat over the idea, but you never know if it will be granted."
Martin Bosma could become state secretary for media affairs, but he would rather be chairman of the Second Chamber. Dion Graus, according to Wilders himself, would be a good secretary of state for animal welfare.
On the PVV electoral list, there are 13 former members of the Second Chamber. There are also municipal and provincial council members and PVV policy workers in the Second Chamber.
Last night, Martin Bosma admitted that he doesn't know everyone. "Certainly, they meet all the requirements, but I don't know who they are. Tomorrow, there will be 37 of us in a faction room; that is totally crazy. But who all that will be I have no idea."
6 Could there also be a new cabinet without PVV?
Yes, that could happen. Although it is illogical that the largest party is not part of a new cabinet, it could happen. A so-called "Victory-defeat" for Wilders is also a possibility. Because VVD, Green-Left, PvdA (Labour), NSC, and D66 combined have 78 seats.
It happened previously that the winner of the election did not govern. In 1986, the PvdA won, but the cabinet that came was CDA (Christian-Democrat Appeal) and VVD.
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