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The sign at the church entrance in this peaceful Dutch village states, “All are welcome.” Residents exchange greetings from neat porches with well-maintained lawns.
However, that statement of acceptance appears to be oddly inappropriate.
Due to concerns over the economy and culture, there has been a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in this country and in the Netherlands. This shift to the right in politics is a drastic manifestation of a larger trend seen throughout Europe, which may have an impact on the results of the upcoming European Union parliamentary election.
In the town of Sint Willebrord, with a population of 9,300 residents and a small immigrant presence, nearly three quarters of voters selected an aggressively anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim party in last year’s election. This outcome challenged the Netherlands’ reputation as a tolerant and moderate nation.
The Party for Freedom, headed by a bold leader with bleached hair named Geert Wilders, gained almost a quarter of the total votes – despite only 5 percent of the population being Muslim – by using catchphrases like “no Islamic schools, Qurans or mosques” and “no open borders and unaffordable mass immigration.”
Voters across Europe are increasingly empowering leaders like Wilders who promise to restrict immigration and, in some cases, constrain democratic freedoms: of religion, of expression, of the right to protest.
Experts are concerned that these forces could significantly alter the shape of Europe from the highest level, gradually emerging in countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, and Austria. However, it is difficult to predict the extent to which these forces will impact each individual country.
In the month of June, citizens from the 27 countries belonging to the European Union will participate in the election of their next Parliament, which will serve for a duration of five years. Experts predict that far-right political parties, currently holding the sixth-largest number of seats in the assembly, are likely to increase their representation and have a stronger impact on EU policies, which cover a wide range of topics such as human rights, gender equality, and immigration.
According to Rem Korteweg, a senior research fellow at the Clingendael think tank in The Hague, individuals have a grudge against traditional politics.
In the past, the Netherlands has been known for being lenient in areas such as drug usage, end-of-life choices, and gender matters. However, this tendency to settle differences has allowed for the rise of Wilders’ loud and aggressive voice. According to Korteweg, voting for Wilders was a clear act of protest.
In certain other European countries, the movement towards conservative ideologies has escalated and started to erode the principles of democracy.
According to democracy experts, elections in Hungary and Serbia were deemed as free but not fair due to the ruling parties’ control over the media, courts, and electoral authorities. In response to their backsliding on fundamental rules of law, the EU has withheld funds from Hungary and Poland as a form of punishment.
Politicians like Wilders in the Netherlands and other countries have gained support by making pledges to not treat everyone equally under the law. This often means preventing foreigners from entering the country.
According to Korteweg, there is a notable shift towards anti-immigration policies, which has resulted in the rise of radical right-wing groups in certain countries.
Increasing expenses, escalating frustration.
The Party for Freedom, led by Wilders, has seen a significant increase in support since the 2021 Dutch election. With a 23% share of the vote, Wilders has a strong possibility of being a leader in a potential governing coalition.
Support for Wilders was particularly strong in Rucphen, a town in the southern Netherlands which includes the village of Sint Willebrord. In this town, Wilders’ party received more than half of the votes for the first time, with 27 percent in 2012.
Over the course of 25 years, citizens in the Netherlands have become more dissatisfied as their governments have been unable to prevent the decline of promised benefits regarding education, healthcare, and pensions, despite the high taxes imposed on them.
Walter de Jong, an 80-year-old lifelong baker, expressed his frustration by stating that it feels like people are being pressured to vote for Wilders. Due to increasing expenses and strict government regulations, De Jong was forced to shut down his business last year.
De Jong expressed his belief that things are regressing. He had previously backed the free market party led by former prime minister Mark Rutte, but opted not to cast a vote in the most recent election.
The decrease in quality of life for the Dutch has occurred alongside an increase in immigration. The majority of immigrants are from Ukraine and other countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, while a smaller amount come from places like Syria and Turkey. Twenty years ago, the Netherlands experienced a net loss of migrants, but by 2022, the trend had shifted to a net gain of 224,000 in a country with a population of 17.5 million.
The cost of living crisis in the Netherlands has greatly impacted various aspects such as healthcare and food prices. Inflation has exacerbated inequality and pushed certain lower middle-class families into poverty.
According to a 2022 study conducted by the Dutch lender Rabobank, the amount of income required to purchase a first home has increased at a much quicker rate than earnings.
Tom Theuns from Leiden University stated that housing is a failure of policy, which is a valid and tangible issue. He also mentioned that this issue is often exploited by populist figures who falsely blame asylum seekers for it. This perpetuates racist messaging and leads to scapegoating.
Wilders put forth this argument in his campaign manifesto: “Why do asylum seekers have priority in securing limited housing? This must come to an end.”
His followers attributed these issues to the ruling coalition led by Rutte.
Theuns stated that many European countries have a tendency for voters to repeat patterns.
Theuns stated that one common destination for these votes is radical right-wing parties, who frequently use social and economic issues in their rhetoric.
Should one reject or embrace populism?
The rise of populist messaging creates a challenge for traditional European center-right and center-left parties.
Previously, a significant number viewed the newcomers as menacing adversaries with a destructive agenda. The commonly used approach to handling them was a “cordon sanitaire,” a safeguard implemented to prevent the spread of contagious illnesses. In terms of politics, this involved refraining from forming alliances with them.
This approach was employed in Belgium to separate far-right nationalists, while in France, the Front National party led by Jean-Marie Le Pen was kept at a distance.
Under the leadership of Marine Le Pen, the Front National, now known as the National Rally, is no longer ostracized. In November, she was accepted at a demonstration against increasing antisemitism, leading critics to use the uncomplimentary term “salonfähig” to describe the transformation of a previous outcast into an accepted member of society.
The term “socially acceptable” is commonly used to describe the Nazis’ progression from being rejected to being accepted in mainstream politics, leading to their complete control before World War II.
Not too long ago, the idea of creating a majority coalition with Wilders’ party was seen as impossible in the Netherlands.
In 2010, Wilders’ party supported a Dutch government that was in the minority. However, Wilders continued to use anti-immigrant language, and after 1 1/2 years of conflict, the government was dissolved.
However, the atmosphere of the continent started to shift. The migration crisis in Europe in 2015 provided an opportunity for far-right politics to gain traction, as the EU struggled to respond to the influx of approximately 100,000 asylum seekers every month.
Wilders’ inflammatory language against migrants gained even more traction. In the previous year, there was a significant increase in the number of migrants entering the European Union through unauthorized methods, such as using small boats to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa. This information was reported by Frontex, the EU’s border agency, and it reflected the highest level of arrivals since 2016.
In July, Mark Rutte’s majority coalition fell apart due to his approach to immigration. The new leader of the VVD party suggested the possibility of working with Wilders again.
According to Korteweg from the Clingendael think tank, voting for Wilders was now considered a valuable choice and resulted in an increase in support for Wilders in the polls.
In December, a member of Wilders’ political party was elected as the president of parliament, signifying a significant step forward in gaining political approval. This has created the possibility of his far-right party becoming a part of, or even leading, a majority governing coalition.
Noticing the chance for greater influence, Wilders has stated that he would be open to setting aside his most confrontational statements “temporarily in the freezer.”
Opposing politicians are doubtful. Frans Timmermans, a veteran center-left figure in Dutch politics who competed against Wilders in the November election, stated, “When you place something in the refrigerator, it is to retrieve it later while still fresh.”
Experts in politics who are anticipating the upcoming EU Parliament elections in June suggest that the developments in countries such as the Netherlands could serve as a warning for the governing body of the bloc, which consists of 450 million individuals.
Instead of right-wing parties moving towards the center, it is possible for the center to shift towards the right.
Korteweg from Clingendael warned that this could pose a major threat to Europe. While these coalitions may moderate the extreme views of politicians, there is also a significant danger of normalizing these parties.
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This narrative, funded by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, is a continuation of the Associated Press’ ongoing series on challenges to democracy in Europe.
The source is the Independent.co.uk.
