Occasion for Freedom chief hopes plan to get robust on immigration delivers election victory.
He has been dubbed the “Dutch Donald Trump”.
Geert Wilders has pulled his Occasion for Freedom (PVV) out of the coalition that governs the Netherlands in a row over immigration coverage.
It has plunged the NATO ally into political turmoil and new elections.
After years in opposition, the PVV received probably the most votes in 2023 by tapping into rising populism in Europe with guarantees to scale back immigration.
Wilders has pushed for a 10-point plan that requires the militarisation of Dutch borders in addition to the repatriation of all Syrian nationals – one thing his coalition companions rejected.
Earlier than resigning, Prime Minister Dick Schoof labelled Wilders’s actions “irresponsible”, coming at a important time for Europe.
So was this a reckless or strategic transfer by Wilders?
And can it deepen uncertainty within the area, solely weeks earlier than a NATO summit in The Hague?
Presenter:
Tom McRae
Friends:
Henk van der Kolk – Professor of electoral politics on the College of Amsterdam
Zoe Gardner – Impartial researcher masking migration coverage
Pieter Cleppe – Editor-in-chief at BrusselsReport.eu
