The Netherlands has experienced a “Trump Moment”, proving that Europe still has a populist problem. The country is currently led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is leading a government supplying “tough love” to its citizens.
On March 15th, the Dutch held a parliamentary election – and far-right anti-immigration champion Geert Wilders almost doubled his seats in the House of Representatives from 12 to 20. This election is especially significant because it came after years of failed attempts by other European countries to keep right-wing populism at bay.
While Rutte did win the election, his victory was fairly narrow. Rutte’s center-right VVD party did win 33 of 150 seats in the Parliament, but Wilders’ Party for Freedom came in a close second with 20 seats. This is largely because the Dutch population is growing more frustrated with the government’s leadership. Many Dutch citizens believe that the government isn’t doing enough to protect them from rising immigration, and are voting for Wilders as a result.
This outcome has caused alarm among many European leaders, who worry that similar far-right populists could gain a foothold in other countries. France and Germany have seen a rise in support for their own far-right candidates in the past year, and the Netherlands’ election is seen as a potential harbinger of more to come.
The Netherlands’ election serves as a cautionary tale that Europe is still vulnerable to populism. The rise of right-wing populism has been a major challenge for European leaders, and the Netherlands may be the first of many countries to come under its influence. With powerhouses France and Germany now teetering on a populist edge, the risk of further divisions in the EU is now a very real possibility.
The only hope for a populist-free future lies in the willingness of European leaders to address the underlying causes of populism: economic woes, rising inequality, and immigrants who are seen as threatening to the traditional way of life. If Europe fails to tackle these problems now, it could have devastating consequences for the continent and the world at large.