The victory of right-wing populist Geert Wilders in the Dutch elections is one of a series of victories for right-wing parties. If this is not to be followed by more, Europe must act – especially in migration policy.
The right-wing populist Geert Wilders has won the election in the Netherlands and the reasons for his victory are, first of all, Dutch. The 60-year-old Wilders, a member of parliament in The Hague for over 25 years, led an extraordinarily skilful election campaign in the last few meters.
He, who, in addition to his blonde hair, had made his hatred of Islam his trademark, was much more moderate this time than in previous elections. Sure, he continued to agitate against the headscarf and would like to ban mosques across the country, but this time Wilders refrained from any overly provocative actions.
Wilders let the competition prevail
His left-wing and bourgeois competitors, on the other hand, seemed rather paralyzed after Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s long term in office and even supported this tactic. Dilan Yeşilgöz, Mark Rutte’s successor at the head of the ruling VVD party, indicated during the election campaign that she did not want to rule out collaboration with the right-wing populist Wilders from the outset. Together with Wilder’s moderate appearances, especially in the crucial television debates, voters took this as a sign: Yes, this Wilders, who was demonized as an enfant terrible for decades, is someone who is now electable.
It is still unclear whether Wilders will actually be able to form a government in the end; purely mathematically, a broad coalition against him would also be possible. What is certain, however, is that his victory fits in with a trend in Europe. And despite all the differences in the respective elections, there is one reason that drives voters to the right: dissatisfaction with migration policy.
As relatively moderate as Wilders appeared to be in his attacks on Islam this time, he remained tough on this issue. “Asylum tsunami” was the catchphrase with which he scored points. And he’s not the only one who scores points with it.
Le Pen, Meloni: The right is getting stronger
In France, Marine Le Pen’s star has been rising steadily for many years; only the French electoral system, the system of directly electing the president in a runoff, has so far saved the country from having a right-wing populist president.
Italy, on the other hand, is already experiencing this. Giorgia Meloni won the election a year ago with the votes of those who no longer want to accept that refugee boats land on the beaches of Calabria, Sicily and Lampedusa every day.
In Finland, on the other hand, the “True Finns” are part of the government, and they caused a whole series of scandals for Prime Minister Orpo. Economics Minister Junnila had to resign because he revealed sympathies for neo-Nazis, Deputy Prime Minister Purra was linked to blog entries in which migrants were denigrated as “Turkish beggars”, the author also announced that she was “wanting to meet beggars in Helsinki spit.”
Victor Orbán in Hungary is currently reacting unchallenged like rarely before. The right-wing populist, who would like to keep his country free of all migrants, of all people who do not fit his definition of a Western Christian Europe, does not have to fear any opponents at the moment.
European agreements have failed
The failure of a uniform, meaningful and coherent migration policy in Europe is the common denominator that enables all of these right-wingers to achieve their success. Italian voters cast their votes with the feeling that the north of Europe was leaving them alone with the refugee boats – while in the Netherlands they complain about the south, countries like Italy, where the refugees are only being sent through to the north.
The Dublin Agreement on European asylum policy has failed. The EU-Turkey deal, which limited the number of refugees entering Greece via Turkey from 2016 to 2020, has failed. The latest agreement with Tunisia, pushed by Giorgia Meloni, is also being negotiated by EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen – it is about to fail. The number of refugees is neither falling significantly nor are Tunisians respecting the rights of local migrants.
In hardly any other policy area is the European Union as divided as it is in migration policy, but in this area in particular, in a Europe with open borders, it would be crucial to formulate a common policy that is understandable to citizens.
Negotiations for a new EU migration pact are currently underway. Belgium, which will take over the Council Presidency next year, announced that it would do everything in its power to have a new pact adopted by the end of its term in office in June 2024 – also because the Belgian government itself is overwhelmed by the sharp increase in the number of migrants. The government in Brussels has had to collect more than 1,000 court judgments against itself because of this. Recently, the Belgian State Council suspended the government’s decision to stop accepting single men in state accommodation.
In this prism, Geert Wilder’s election victory in the Netherlands is just another stage victory for the right. If this is not to be followed by more, especially in Germany, Europe, the member states and the EU institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg must finally adopt a clear migration policy. One of fair burden distribution. One that clearly states who you can and want to accept. And who doesn’t. If bourgeois, left-wing and liberal politicians cannot agree on this in the coming months, the far right will end up doing it.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
