PVV Voters in Netherlands Favor Restricting Immigration, Sparking Food Bank Outrage

ANPThe preliminary formation discussions continued today

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 18:06

Every Friday afternoon there is a Food Bank distribution point in the center of Kerkdriel. This causes outrage at the nearby weekly market. In a rich country like the Netherlands, people should not actually be dependent on this, market visitors say. “Why spend so much money on even more people from outside and on climate hysteria,” asks retiree Peter Müller (70). “Let’s help the people here first.”

Like many fellow villagers, Müller voted for the PVV in November. In the three polling stations in Kerkdriel, almost 42 percent, more than 44 percent and 47 percent of the votes respectively went to Geert Wilders’ party. That is considerably higher than the national average of 23.5 percent. The other parties negotiating a coalition – VVD, NSC and BBB – also scored well in the municipality of Maasdriel, which includes Kerkdriel. Left-progressive received far fewer votes in this Gelderland municipality.

In recent weeks, NOS visited several municipalities where these four parties received an above-average number of votes and spoke to dozens of residents. Almost all respondents favor a coalition between PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB, although objections can also be heard, especially among NSC and VVD voters, about unconstitutional proposals and ideas from the PVV, such as a headscarf and mosque ban. Yesterday it was announced that the party is withdrawing three private member’s bills, including a plan for a ban on Islamic expressions.

Migration main theme

For many PVV voters, restricting immigration is the most important issue that a new cabinet should tackle, as is also evident from the preliminary results of the National Voter Survey. Migration is also an important theme in municipalities where relatively few migrants with a non-Western background live, such as Maasdriel, Edam-Volendam and various municipalities in the North Holland region of West Friesland. These are municipalities with relatively many entrepreneurs, where previously mainly CDA and VVD votes were cast. Nowadays the PVV is the largest in all these municipalities.

Many residents tell NOS that they are afraid that their local communities will come under pressure. They feel that the country is changing, and not in the direction they want. Reference is often made to the already high housing shortage, which will only increase with the arrival of “even more asylum seekers”. “Wilders simply says most clearly that he wants to put the Dutch first again,” says Müller in the center of Kerkdriel. “Look at my son, who is in his 30s, but still cannot buy a house. However, he can pay 1,100 euros per month in rent for an apartment, isn’t that crazy?”

Political change

An employee of a large plant nursery in the municipality of Medemblik, who does not want his name in publicity, shares that feeling. “I’m almost 30 and it is extremely difficult for people of my generation to build something. I work very hard, but I still live with my mother. He calls that “not fair”.

According to him, political change is needed, and “who better to ensure that than Geert Wilders?” He doesn’t want to call it a protest vote, but he does want to call it a vote to shake things up. “The VVD has been saying for years that they want to do something about the migration influx, but nothing has happened in the meantime.” Yet this West Frisian thinks it is good if the VVD joins the government, because of the extensive administrative experience within the party.

NSC and BBB instead of the CDA

Ton Slagter comes from a well-known growing family in this part of West Friesland. Traditionally, they have been CDA voters, his brother Nico Slagter has even been a councilor in the municipality of Stede Broec on behalf of that party for many years. However, both Ton and his other brother Bas voted for a different party on November 22: for NSC and for the BBB.

Ton was a member of the CDA for many years, but he canceled his membership. “I had the feeling that they no longer took their members seriously, and substantiated criticism was not listened to.”

The Slagters describe themselves as “firmly right-wing” and therefore hope for a right-wing cabinet. According to them, this is beneficial for the agricultural sector. However, they are not big fans of Geert Wilders. “He doesn’t come up with real solutions.” The brothers think that the other three parties will keep Wilders “in check”.

NOSbloemkoolteler Ton Butcher

The brothers feel that they are often judged by “left-wing do-gooders”, who mainly live in the big cities. “What exactly do they do for society?” According to them, in West Friesland there is a mentality of not whining, but cleaning up. And also: we can manage it ourselves here. “Above all, don’t dictate to us how we should live.”

No cauliflowers without migrant workers

When it comes to immigration, growers are in two minds: on the one hand they are opposed to “a massive influx of asylum seekers”, which they say will “disrupt the entire country”, and on the other hand they emphasize the need for migrant workers. Their family business, where roughly half of the approximately twenty employees come from countries such as Poland and Belarus, cannot function without migrant workers.

To limit the inconvenience to the environment, the Slagters had a residence built for foreign employees on the grounds of their company. The Slagters are not afraid that a new (right-wing) cabinet will also restrict labor migration. “Wilders also wants us to be able to continue eating the traditional Dutch cauliflower, don’t you think?”

2024-01-09 17:06:53
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