The Netherlands that has always been seen as the most progressive European country, just voted in Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party giving them the most seats in the Dutch Parliament. The Netherlands home to cannabis cafes, red light districts, legal euthanasia...voted on a number of issues the most important being immigration. Next to the tiny island of Malta, it's the most densely populated country in Europe.

Far-right populist Geert Wilders wants to be the Netherlands' next prime minister and would focus his efforts on curbing immigration, he said following a landmark election win that will have repercussions in the Netherlands and beyond. Wilders' win sent a warning shot to mainstream parties across Europe ahead of European Parliament elections next June, which will likely be fought on the same issues as the Dutch election: immigration, cost of living and climate change. "We've had it with the old politicians," voter Herman Borcher said in the eastern town of Enschede, summing up the mood.

A fan of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Hungary's eurosceptic Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Wilders is openly anti-Islam, and anti-EU and said "the Netherlands will be returned to the Dutch." But his most radical ideas - and in particular any plans to take the country out of the EU or ban the Koran - will be rejected by other parties he must work with in order to form a coalition government, meaning he will have to compromise.

That has not stopped fellow populists across the continent from welcoming his win as showing that "a new Europe is possible." Beating all predictions, Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) won 37 seats out of 150 on Wednesday, well ahead of 25 for a joint Labour/Green ticket and 24 for the conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Coalition talks are expected to take months.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fa ... 023-11-23/

While the media stressed Wilders anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic rhetoric, the issues were much larger. Housing is a major problem and voters see migrants occupying housing blocks, while they are struggling to find housing. Health insurance costs have gone up and families struggle while salaries are stagnant. The Netherland is a trading and shipping mecca and has also become the illegal drugs mecca of Europe.

Geert Wilders has 37 seats in Parliament but needs an additional 39 seats to have a bare majority, so compromises will have to be made among the parties. He said post election that he's not going to close mosques or ban the Koran.

Other EU countries have some of the same issues and have had for decades, social systems that citizens saw as being built for them have been used to care and house new arrivals that are seen as not having contributed to the system. Housing is critical and increasingly people are frustrated that those limited resources are given to “outsiders”. Yes we are all one planet, but unless we as a planet universally contribute to addressing all issues there will be resentment. Expect to see more right wing reactions, which usually means citizens first and negative reactions to policies encouraging or allowing new arrivals.

1920s Germany was pretty progressive. And then…

cooper wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2023 12:16 pm 1920s Germany was pretty progressive. And then…

All too true.

Yes, Germany was very progressive with world class universities, but still suffered economically from WWI and allied restrictions. European countries have been moving to the right, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland.. Spain looks like it avoided it when the current Socialist prime minister removed "sedition" as a crime from the criminal code. He needed the support from Catalan parties to stay in power.

cooper wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2023 12:16 pm 1920s Germany was pretty progressive. And then…

Well...Weimar Germany has been described as "a democracy without Democrats" because few of the leaders like democracy. Not the KPD (Germany's Communist Party was the biggest outside of Russia and totally independent of Russia), not various conservative parties, nor the Kaiser-appointed judiciary.

Fearful people look to "the strong man" to protect them. Actually, he picks their pockets.

CDFingers

In most countries with parliamentary systems of government, no single party has enough seats to form a government and enact their legislative agenda. Geert Wilders if he's able to pull together a coalition and become prime minister, will have to do horse trading. In the end he might be the power broker outside of government who supports the government until they cross him. The Netherlands has had center-right governments for 12 years, the most current one fell over the issue of immigration. Geert Wilders stands 6'5", he's not hard to miss among a group of politicians.

The Sweden Democrats are a nationalist party that are the second largest political party in Sweden, but they don't hold any cabinet seats. They support the Moderate and Christian Democratic parties that form the current Swedish government. The immigration policies of the former Social Democratic governments helped to dramatically increase the Sweden Democrats popular support.

Geert Wilders? Seriously? That's frightening.

That is why people react negatively to policies that encourage or allow newcomers. geometry dash subzero

ElizaBing wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 7:36 am Netherlands has traditionally been seen as a beacon of tolerance in Europe. However, this election reflects growing concerns over immigration, national identity, and societal pressure in one of Europe's most densely populated nations.

schoolboy runaway

I agree, the Netherlands and the Dutch people are known for being tolerant and liberal, but many immigrant groups come from conservative Islamic cultures where for example, gays and lesbians can't openly kiss or even hold hands. Geert Wilders whose right wing Party for Freedom is the main party supporting the current Dutch government. He is known for saying, "We have been too tolerant of the intolerant", his party isn't anti-LGBT. Gilders isn't the first, Pym Fortuyn protested the intolerance by immigrants earlier. Fortuyn was assassinated by a left wing environmentalist and animal rights activist in 2002.

CDFingers wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2023 11:54 am Fearful people look to "the strong man" to protect them. Actually, he picks their pockets.

CDFingers

Just reminding folks and showing about New Zealand.

[youtu_be]https://youtu.be/0-sV7U1KuGI?si=Mn8TfI4wRCuLpAsY[/youtu_be].

The right may be opposed. Do not give up in advance.

CDF