The controversial politician and leader of the PPV Party Geert Wilders claimed an unexpected win at the Dutch general elections on Sunday. The far-right lawmaker, notorious for his anti-Islam views said that he’ll always support the threatened community of Hindus residing in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“Thanks so much to all my friends from all over the world who congratulated me on winning the Dutch elections. Many kind messages came from India: I’ll always support Hindus who are attacked or threatened to be killed or prosecuted in Bangladesh, Pakistan only for being Hindu," Geert Wilders tweeted on Sunday evening.
Wilders, who has fairly consistently lashed out against Islam, the EU, and migrants, has been labeled as the Dutch version of Donald Trump before. In the complex political landscape of the Netherlands, Wilders has come close to power several times before, but never in it. In his victory speech, Wilders vowed apparently to solve the migration issue in the Netherlands, calling it the asylum tsunami.
Although victorious, Wilders still has to go the distance in persuading other party leaders to work with him in a coalition government. It still seems like a perilous journey as Wilders has less than two months to win over potential coalition partners uneasy about his rigid views. Some potential coalition partners, and in particular Pieter Omtzigt who leads the reformist New Social Contract party that won 20 seats at the Nov. 22 election, have expressed fears that some of Wilders’ election pledges openly collide with the Dutch constitution that preserves liberties including the freedom of religion.
On Wednesday, the conservative-liberal politician said that he wants to be the Prime Minister for “all Netherlanders" and assured that he will keep his policies in line with the constitution of the Netherlands. The statement came amidst a debate in parliament to ease fears among potential coalition partners about his strong anti-Islam rhetoric and plans including banning mosques, Islamic schools, and the Quran.
Wilders’ party won 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament election, making it the biggest party and made the veteran anti-Islam lawmaker able to lead talks on forming the next ruling coalition.
