/ world today news/ Early parliamentary elections in the Netherlands shocked Europe – the far-right Freedom Party won. The country’s future in the EU and support for Ukraine are at stake. In Kyiv, they are preparing for the worst. About the possible consequences – in the material.
An unexpected victory
Geert Wilders’ party won 37 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives (in 2021 there were only 17). This gives the right to form a coalition government. “The voter has had his say. We will do everything to ensure that the Dutch are in the spotlight,” said the winner.
A likely coalition partner is the New Social Contract. Mark Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy rules out cooperation for now.
Wilders proposes leaving the EU and returning the guilder. He is considered a sympathizer of Putin and an opponent of Kiev. “The Dutch do not want Ukraine to join NATO,” he claimed. He previously called for Turkey to be expelled from the alliance.
He has always come out with a hardline anti-immigrant agenda, but has recently softened his statements about refugees from Muslim countries. Economic problems come to the fore. The party promised voters a 20% reduction in the salaries of ministers, deputies – local and in the European Parliament – as well as taxes for the royal family and a reduction in their allowances by the same 20%, a reduction in VAT and the retirement age and an extension of pensions.
European shock
“Politico” notes that even if Wilders does not achieve exit from the EU, the new government will be a “nightmare for Brussels”. The current common European policy – from climate protection measures to the arming of Ukraine – is under threat, the publication warns. “Financial Times” predicts major upheavals for the West. The restoration of border control at the state border, the expulsion of illegal migrants and the introduction of work permits for visitors from other European countries will fundamentally change the country’s DNA, the Guardian believes.
As Bloomberg notes, the possibility of Ukraine’s victory is now in question. Wilders is outraged by Mark Rutte’s government’s obsession with Kiev’s security. He considers it more important to take care of law and order in his own country. In May, he categorically refused to participate in a parliamentary meeting with Zelensky.
Wilders is in favor of developing relations with Russia. He wants to offer “a counterweight to the hysterical Russophobia that reigns everywhere” because Moscow and Amsterdam have common interests. He advocates lifting the sanctions.
In addition, he is convinced that Europe lacks leaders like the Russian president. “Vladimir Putin is a leader, regardless of what you think of him,” he stressed. Five years ago, he visited Moscow and met with deputies from the State Duma. He posted the Russian-Dutch friendship badge on Twitter and noted that he wears it “with pride”.
Paying for mistakes
Eurosceptics were quick to congratulate him. One of the first was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who called the Freedom Party’s victory a wind of change. The leader of the French right, Marine Le Pen, noted the “growing desire to protect national identity”. The Vice Prime Minister of Italy, the chairman of the “League” Matteo Salvini is confident: from now on “a new Europe is possible”. Alternative for Germany co-founder Alice Weidel declared it a “great success.”
Dutch political scientist Geert Hahn warned in an interview with Kyiv media: Wilders will cause you problems. Together with Orbán and Robert Fico, who recently came to power in Slovakia, he will be able to influence EU decisions. The era in which the Netherlands was an unconditional ally is over, Ukrainian media lament.
“Elections in each country are determined by the internal situation, but one cannot fail to note: in recent years, the right has achieved success,” notes Nikolai Topornin, associate professor of European law at MGIMO. “They take advantage of the fact that the public is dissatisfied with the migration policy and the growth of crime, extremism, terrorist attacks. And the economy: the coronavirus, the crises, the conflict with Russia have undermined stability,” adds the expert.
However, the case of the Netherlands is specific. “Fico in Slovakia is an experienced politician, not a populist. With him, there will be no collapse of the system. He can become something like Orban. Wilders’ victory is another story, he is another figure. His rhetoric is more radical. If the Party of freedom achieves a referendum, then two-thirds of the population will say that they do not want to go anywhere because they value the achievements of the EU. However, the trend is obvious. Europe made serious mistakes and faced the consequences, “the expert emphasizes.
The deputy director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Dmitry Suslov, believes that Wilders’ success indicates a long-term trend of weakening Western support for Ukraine.
“Those who are against the increase and preservation of aid to Kiev are getting stronger. In Europe they are tired, they insist that the money be redirected to domestic needs. Of course, a lot depends on what kind of government will be formed. But even if If Wilders does not get to that point, the financing of the Kyiv regime will gradually decrease.”
Support for Ukraine in the Netherlands will now be paused, as it was in Slovakia when Fico won. And the pro-Ukrainian forces have already realized that the voters like them less and less. And they will draw their own conclusions.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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