Dutch election: Europe's far-right populists fail first test

[jayem]

"Far-right populism in Europe failed its first test of 2017 when the nationalist firebrand Geert Wilders came a distant second in the closely-watched Dutch election.

Conservative Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed victory in The Hague Wednesday night, amid wild cheering and whistling from his jubilant supporters..."

Dutch election: Far-right populism fails its first test, as Wilders ties for second - CNN.com

Maybe the recent wave of ethno-nationalism is an aberration. One can only hope.

And an 80+% voter turnout, too. Why can't the US get voters to the polls like that?

 

[SeventyOne]

I was disappointed last night when I heard Wilders was far behind in the exit polling. I have been hearing about his exploits for years.

 

[Muslim-UK]

I was disappointed last night when I heard Wilders was far behind in the exit polling. I have been hearing about his exploits for years.

Wow you are disappointing a man like Wilders lost, an extremist who given the opportunity, would have turned away a Middle Eastern, couple and their baby fleeing persecution. (Jesus wept) pbuh.

 

[SeventyOne]

Wow you are disappointing a man like Wilders lost, an extremist who given the opportunity, would have turned away a Middle Eastern, couple and their baby fleeing persecution. (Jesus wept)

I don't recall saying he was a perfect man and that I agreed with him on all decisions.

If you don't agree with my opinion, that's your right. However, I am allowed an opinion different than yours on the matter. So, don't 'Wow' me as if I'm somewhere out in crazyville.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

Second place and a gain of five seats isn't bad...

Geert Wilders didn’t win – but he has reshaped Dutch politics

 

[mindlight]

There was a lot of hype about this election. There is a clear dissatisfaction with Islamic immigration and the handling of Muslims in Holland. The perception is that Muslims do not understand and cannot live with freedom. However the countries mainstream , pro EU and pro tolerance has won. European leaders need to think through their response to Islam and Islamisation to avoid provoking the kind of populist nationalism that Wilders, Marine le Penn and the AFD represent. Islam is not scary but what Europe would do to Muslims if it passes a certain trigger point is. So this needs to be managed properly and many European leaders have been naïve.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I was disappointed last night when I heard Wilders was far behind in the exit polling. I have been hearing about his exploits for years.

Wilders is a neo-nazi and I'ld almost call it a crime against humanity that such a person is allowed to engage in politics.

This is one of those times when a democracy is its own worst enemy.

People like him make me wish there was such a thing as a "license to engage in politics", which you can only get after demonstrating emotional stability, sanity, an ability for rational thinking and having basic knowledge about human rights and science.


(whoeps... there goes half the congress...)

 

[Rion]

Second place and a gain of five seats isn't bad...

Geert Wilders didn’t win – but he has reshaped Dutch politics

Yeah, I don't get how that was a failure. He also forced the main party to move right in regards to Turkey as well.

 

[Albion]

"Far-right populism in Europe failed its first test of 2017 when the nationalist firebrand Geert Wilders came a distant second in the closely-watched Dutch election.

Conservative Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed victory in The Hague Wednesday night, amid wild cheering and whistling from his jubilant supporters..."

Dutch election: Far-right populism fails its first test, as Wilders ties for second - CNN.com

Maybe the recent wave of ethno-nationalism is an aberration. One can only hope.

And an 80+% voter turnout, too. Why can't the US get voters to the polls like that?

If you read the whole report (that you supplied us), you'll see that Wilders increased his vote share although finishing second, but also that the Left lost big. The meaning may be that the people are hoping that a compromise decision, a move to the center, will stem the rising tide that threatens European civilization. It won't, of course, and they will be aware of this when they go to the polls the next time.

 

[Albion]

Wilders is a neo-nazi and I'ld almost call it a crime against humanity that such a person is allowed to engage in politics.

I know. That's the way the totalitarian Left that wants to nullify the 2016 election in the USA thinks, too.

 

[MyOwnSockPuppet]

The obvious point is that Dutch politics has been based on coalitions for more than a century (the last election that resulted in one party having a majority was in 1894, universal male suffrage didn't happen until the 1918 election and universal suffrage in the 1922 election (from laws changed in 1919)).
Whatever you think of Wilders, unless something so insanely unlikely as gaining 61 seats (rather than the 5 he did gain) he'd have had to be in coalition with someone else, and the gap between PVV and any other party is larger than the gap between the other parties. Even without the publicity, no-one would. It was never going to happen.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

Wilders is a neo-nazi and I'ld almost call it a crime against humanity that such a person is allowed to engage in politics.

He's an otherwise typical European liberal who happens not to harbor any illusions about the nature of Islam. Even the term "far right populism" is a misnomer. He's not particularly right wing...