Geert Wilders' anti-Islam Freedom party is facing a tight race in Wednesday's Dutch election, and even if he wins the vote his hopes of forming a new government appear minimal. Wilders was the clear winner last time Dutch voters went to the polls in November 2023, but final opinion polls hours before the vote suggest a fall in his support. Dutch voters are grappling with a series of crises, from a chronic housing shortage to overcrowded asylum centres. The cost of living is rising with sky-high rents and healthcare costs. Unlike last time, Wilders' rivals are refusing to work with him after he brought down his own coalition government last June.
Voting at most of the country's more than 10,000 polling stations starts at 07:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Wednesday and ends at 21:00 (20:00 GMT). Commentators believe it is more important who comes second in the vote than first, as it could decide who will form the next government. The race is wide open, and more than a third of Dutch voters were seen as undecided on the eve of the election. For almost half of Dutch voters, the housing crisis is top priority, with a shortage of almost 400,000 homes, in a population of 18 million. Housing has taken centre stage in TV debates, and while Wilders has blamed the crisis on migration, others point to a rise in single-person households and planning gridlock.
Considered for so long the outsider of Dutch politics, Geert Wilders played a key role in the last government, both in setting it up and in bringing it down after only 11 months, in a row over immigration. Wilders currently faces accusations of scapegoating various societal groups, and political analysts suggest that his chances of entering government again are slim.
Voting at most of the country's more than 10,000 polling stations starts at 07:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Wednesday and ends at 21:00 (20:00 GMT). Commentators believe it is more important who comes second in the vote than first, as it could decide who will form the next government. The race is wide open, and more than a third of Dutch voters were seen as undecided on the eve of the election. For almost half of Dutch voters, the housing crisis is top priority, with a shortage of almost 400,000 homes, in a population of 18 million. Housing has taken centre stage in TV debates, and while Wilders has blamed the crisis on migration, others point to a rise in single-person households and planning gridlock.
Considered for so long the outsider of Dutch politics, Geert Wilders played a key role in the last government, both in setting it up and in bringing it down after only 11 months, in a row over immigration. Wilders currently faces accusations of scapegoating various societal groups, and political analysts suggest that his chances of entering government again are slim.
