Who is Geert Wilders, likely to be next Dutch PM? Meet the anti-Islam leader who backed Nupur Sharma

The elections in Netherlands have shocked Europe and the world. Dutch voters have thrown their support behind the party of a far-right icon, Geert Wilders, causing one of the biggest political upsets in Dutch politics since World War II, and one that is bound to send shockwaves through Europe. An exit poll published by national broadcaster NOS said that Wilders’ Party for Freedom won 35 seats in the 150-seat lower house of parliament, more than double the 17 he won at the last election. A jubilant Wilders said on the win, which will be finalised, “I had to pinch my arm.” He added, “The Dutch voter has spoken. The voter has said, ‘We are fed up’.” He added that he wanted to return “the Netherlands to the Dutch.” While Wilders’ party has come out on top at the polls, he will need the support of others to reach the magic number of 76 to govern the country. And the 60-year-old politician is wasting no time to stitch together a coalition. He called on other Dutch parties to work together to form a coalition, stressing that his PVV party “can no longer be ignored”. Here’s what we know about Wilders and what his win means for the Netherlands. Who is Geert Wilders? In politics since 1988, Wilders, who founded the Party for Freedom – the third-largest party in the Netherlands – is often referred to as ‘Dutch Trump’ because of his bouffant platinum blonde hair and also his firebrand rhetoric. Wilders was born in 1963 in southern Venlo, close to the German border, in a Catholic family with his two brothers and sister. Notably, his mother was half-Indonesia – a fact he doesn’t mention much. According to his elder brother, Paul, Geert developed an interest in politics in the 1980s. Speaking to Der Spiegel magazine, he had said: “He was neither clearly on the left or the right at the time, nor was he xenophobic. But he was fascinated by the political game, the struggle for power and influence.” [caption id=“attachment_13421072” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Dutch far right politician, leader of the PVV party, Geert Wilders poses for a selfie during an election campaign meet and greet in Venlo, Netherlands. File image/Reuters[/caption] Geert Wilders was initially a member of People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). He later left owing to the party’s mild stance on Islam and immigration. In 2004, he founded the Party for Freedom (PVV) placing anti-Islam policies at the heart of his party. When asked why he has such a profound disregard for Islam, he attributes it to the time he spent in a kibbutz in Israel and also the assassination of the radical anti-Islam film-maker Theo van Gogh in 2004. While he is known for his hardline politics, Wilders is also known for his pets. His two cats, Snoetje and Pluisje, have their own account on X with nearly 23,000 followers. What are his policies? The focus of Wilders’ party is all things anti-Muslim. His manifesto says: “The Netherlands is not an Islamic country. No Islamic schools, Qurans and mosques." He proposes banning the headscarf in government buildings.” When it comes to immigration too, he has retained his sharp anti-immigrant tone. “Asylum-seekers feast on delightful free cruise-ship buffets while Dutch families have to cut back on groceries,” his party’s manifesto reads. And he has proposed immigration measures such as restoring Dutch border control, detaining and deporting illegal immigrants, returning Syrian asylum-seekers and re-introducing work permits for intra-EU workers. [caption id=“attachment_13421082” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Geert Wilders, also known as ‘Dutch Trump’, holds a hard stance on migration and Islam. In this year’s election, he proposed immigration measures such as restoring Dutch border control, detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. File image/Reuters[/caption] On foreign policy, the PVV proposes a “Dutch first” approach that includes closing its representation in Ramallah and strengthening ties to Israel, including moving its embassy to Jerusalem. A “binding referendum” on a ‘Nexit’ – the Netherlands leaving the EU – is also in the manifesto, along with an “immediate halt”to development aid. He has often courted controversy for his opinions and even been convicted for his stance. Notably, in 2017, he called some Moroccans “scum”. “There is a lot of Moroccan scum in Holland who make the streets unsafe,” he had said. “If you want to regain your country, make the Netherlands for the people of the Netherlands again, then you can only vote for one party.” This remark came two months after he was convicted in a hate speech trial over his promise to reduce the number of Moroccans in the country. In December 2019, he also courted controversy when he organised a contest for caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. At the time, he had remarked, “Freedom of speech must prevail over violence and Islamic fatwas.” His remarks and stance have made him a victim of death threats and he has been living under round-the-clock protection for years. In 2009, the British government had refused to let him visit the country, saying that he posed a threat to “community harmony and therefore public security.” According to an Associated Press report, he had been invited to Britain by a member of Parliament’s upper house, the House of Lords, to show his 15-minute film Fitna, which criticises the Quran as a “fascist book.” Notably, he is very popular in the American far-right circuit. In April 2015, he was invited to speak at the Conservative Opportunity Society, a coalition of right-wing politicians in the United States House of Representatives. “There is no moderate Islam. Islam has changed Europe beyond recognition,” Wilders had told the audience. “Our duty is clear: In order to solve the problem, we have to stop mass immigration to the West from Islamic countries.” [caption id=“attachment_13421112” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] After the exit polls predicted a win for Wilders’ party, the leader has called on other parties to join his coalition and govern the country. AP[/caption] Last year, Wilders also extended his support to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nupur Sharma , who had received flak from the world for her derogatory comments on Prophet Muhammad. Wilders had said that Sharma was speaking “nothing but the truth about Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha” and even posted in her defence on X, hailing her as a hero. In one post, he wrote, “Appeasement never works. It will only make things worse. So, my dear friends from India, don’t be intimidated by Islamic countries. Stand up for freedom and be proud and steadfast in defending your politician Nupur Sharma who spoke the truth about Muhammad.” In another post, he also spoke of the death threats he had received but added that he didn’t care.

I receive many death threats now from Muslims who want to kill me for supporting #NupurSharma who spoke the truth and nothing but the truth about Muhammad and Aisha.

My message to them is: go to hell. You have no morals. We stand for the truth. We stand for freedom.

— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) June 8, 2022

How have others reacted to his win? Wilders’ win has resonated among the other far-right leaders in Europe. French politician Marine Le Pen congratulated Geert Wilders and his own far-right PVV party on their “spectacular performance” in the Dutch parliamentary elections. “Congratulations to @geertwilderspvv and the PVV for their spectacular performance in the legislative elections, which confirms the growing support for the defence of national identities,” she wrote on X. Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban also hailed “the winds of change”. [caption id=“attachment_13421212” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] An election billboard for anti-islam lawmaker Geert Wilders is seen near the parliament building in The Hague, Netherlands. AP[/caption] What happens next? Wilders has called on other parties to form a coalition in the country. Earlier, the leaders of the three other top parties had ruled out serving in a PVV-led coalition. But Pieter Omtzigt, whose New Social Contract party won 20 seats according to the exit poll, appeared to soften his position, saying he was “available”, although coalition talks would “not be easy”. Diederick van Wijk from the Clingendael Institute told AFP the Netherlands was now in “uncharted territory” after the “landslide victory” of Wilders. However, Wilders has said he would be prime minister for everyone “regardless of their religion, background, sex or whatever”, insisting the cost-of-living crisis was a bigger priority. With inputs from agencies