Far-right party that opposed Ukrainian refugees in the country loses Dutch elections

In the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands, Geert Wildersʼ populist Party for Freedom (PVV), known for its anti-Ukrainian and anti-migration statements, lost ground.

This is reported by NOS.

According to the latest projections, the PVV has 26 seats, the same as the Liberal Progressive Party D66. However, it is D66 that currently holds a small lead (about 1 700 votes) and could win a majority.

For Wilders, these elections were unsuccessful: despite maintaining influence in some regions, his party lost a significant part of its support, especially in Limburg, where it had previously led. In his hometown of Venlo, the PVV politician won 27.3% of the vote — 9 points less than two years ago.

In contrast, D66 performed strongly in the larger cities of Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Tilburg and Groningen, and improved in Amsterdam. Overall, the party improved its results in all municipalities in the country.

Voter turnout was 78.4%, higher than in the previous elections in 2023 (77.8%).

The final results will be announced after their formal approval by the electoral council next week.

• In early June, the leader of the far-right Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) Geert Wilders reported his withdrawal from the coalition because his partners did not agree with his plan for migrants. Immediately after this, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof resigned.

Who is Geert Wilders?

He entered politics in 1998 as part of the Liberal Party (VVD), then founded a one-man faction in parliament, and in 2006 formed the far-right PVV. He built his career on “a mission to stop the Islamic invasion of the West”. For example, Wilders calls Moroccans “scum”.

Wilders is known for his strong stance against supporting Ukraine — he has repeatedly called on the Netherlands to stop all aid to Kyiv. The politician sympathizes with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and opposes the European Union, immigration, and Islam. The main message of his election campaign was tough anti-migration rhetoric.

Migration was among the key issues in the 2023 elections, which the PVV won. The election was then led by the collapse of Mark Rutteʼs government due to its inability to agree on a reform of the countryʼs asylum rights.

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