Geert Wilders celebrates Dutch election exit poll results
The Netherlands’ Eurosceptic-in-Chief has swept to a stunning victory in the Dutch elections and now one of UK’s top Brexiteers has warned Brussels that the EU could “wither slowly” is it doesn’t “reform” itself.
Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) is set to claim 35 seats out of 150 and following the jaw-dropping exit poll late last night, the country’s centre-right parties have not ruled out working with him.
Leader of Reform UK Richard Tice has given his take on the possibility of Nexit following Mr Wilders’ win.
He said: “This Dutch election was about immigration and the cost of living. The Dutch people have voted against the mass immigration their establishment has allowed. The British people will do the same.”
The Brexit-championing business mogul added: “Nexit will rise up the agenda due to immigration and Schengen. Schengen is finished and EU will have to reform or wither slowly, death by thousand cuts.”
READ MORE Geert Wilders’ triumph sends shockwaves to Remainers and europhiles alike
As EU and Schengen Area members, the Netherlands has a de facto open-door migration policy. Year-on-year net migration to the western European state has more than doubled since 2016 and increased by more than 150,000 from 2021 to 2022.
The Netherlands has a population of around 18 million, but last year the country took in a total 403,000 people, according to Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek.
Mr Wilders founded PVV in 2006, shooting to prominence for his tough stance on Islam, immigration and the European Union.
In recent weeks, the 60-year-old has toned down his rhetoric in an attempt to appeal to the moderates he would need the support of to form a government.
He had previously expressed his desire to ban mosques and the Quran, however has sidelined those policies in order to get the numbers he needs to replace Mark Rutte as Dutch leader.
He said: โI understand very well that parties do not want to be in a government with a party that wants unconstitutional measures. We are not going to talk about mosques, Qurans and Islamic schools.โ
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Following last night’s exit poll, London mayor Sadiq Khan took X to brand Mr Wilders as “far right” and a “threat”.
Sharing the news of the PVV leader’s success, he said: “A reminder to progressives everywhere – the continued threat of the far-right is real and on our doorstep. The next year is going to be pivotal for standing up for and defending our values – in London, in Europe and across the world.”
Miriam Cates struck a different tone. Reacting to the Wilders win, the anti-woke Tory and leading member of the New Conservatives told Express.co.uk: “Just like in the UK, the Netherlands has seen a significant increase in net migration over recent years. Unsurprisingly, this has become a huge issue for voters and the Dutch election results reflect this.
“Governments across Europe – including in Britain – need to understand that mass migration does not have widespread democratic support, and that many voters feel that rapid changes to the population affect their quality of life, access to services and sense of cultural security.”
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