Before the Dutch elections, all eyes were on the latest – some would say original – right-wing populist blonde bombshell, Geert Wilders of the Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV). Wilders’ party’s manifesto promised “de-Islamisation of the Netherlands”, including ending all immigration from Muslim countries and closing down mosques. A Eurosceptic, he was also a fan of Nexit.
The expectation that Wilders would win big was anticipated as much by the far-right as it was feared by the left. Britain’s mini-Wilders, former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, popped up on the eve of the Dutch election count to proclaim that “through the Dutch elections, the French elections etc, you will see a continuance of this revolution against global governance”.
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