Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders (born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who founded and leads the Party for Freedom (PVV), a nationalist party emphasizing the preservation of Dutch sovereignty and cultural identity.[1][2] Wilders has served continuously as a member of the House of Representatives since 1998, initially representing the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) before departing in 2004 to establish the PVV, which entered parliament in 2006.[1] His political platform prioritizes stringent reductions in immigration, particularly from non-Western and Islamic-majority countries, citing empirical concerns over integration failures, elevated crime rates among certain migrant groups, and fiscal burdens on Dutch society.[1][3] Wilders has consistently argued that Islam represents a totalitarian ideology incompatible with liberal democratic values, advocating measures such as closing borders to asylum seekers, deporting criminal migrants, and restricting Islamic practices deemed contrary to Dutch norms.[4][5] Under Wilders' leadership, the PVV achieved its greatest electoral success in the November 2023 general election, capturing the plurality of seats in the House of Representatives and prompting prolonged coalition talks.[6] This outcome reflected widespread public discontent with persistent high levels of immigration and associated challenges, including housing shortages and cultural tensions. A right-leaning coalition government incorporating PVV ministers was installed in July 2024—the first such participation for the party—implementing initial policy shifts toward tighter migration controls, though Wilders himself remained outside the cabinet as party leader.[7] The government collapsed in June 2025 following irreconcilable disputes over further asylum restrictions, with Wilders withdrawing PVV support, leading to snap elections amid ongoing debates on national borders and identity.[8][9]
Early life and education
Childhood and family background
Geert Wilders was born on 6 September 1963 in Venlo, a town in the southeastern Dutch province of Limburg near the German border. He grew up there as the youngest child in a family of partial Indo (mixed Dutch-Indonesian) descent, in a region characterized by its predominantly Catholic culture and industrial character.[10] His father, Johannes Henricus Andreas Wilders, worked as a middle manager at Océ, a Dutch company specializing in printing equipment. His mother was born in Sukabumi (now in West Java, Indonesia), then part of the Dutch East Indies, to Dutch parents; she was the daughter of a major in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). Wilders' maternal grandmother, an Indo woman born and raised in the Indies, contributed to the family's mixed heritage, which included mixed-race Indonesian cousins. The maternal side traced roots to Dutch colonial administrators and military personnel who had lived in the Indies for generations but faced deportation in the 1930s amid allegations of fraud and corruption, resulting in poverty and social rejection upon return to the Netherlands.[11][10] During his childhood in the 1970s, Wilders encountered discrimination tied to his Indo background, reflecting broader challenges faced by Dutch families repatriated from the former colony amid post-independence tensions and societal prejudice. He has a brother, Paul Wilders, who later publicly distanced himself from Geert's political positions.[11][10]Education and early influences
Wilders completed secondary education in his hometown of Venlo.[12] Following graduation, he traveled and worked in Israel and the Middle East from roughly 1981 to 1983, an experience that fostered his enduring support for Israel as a democratic outpost amid regional threats.[13][14] During this time, at age 18, he first entered an Islamic country, traveling from Eilat in Israel to Egypt, which exposed him to cultural and ideological contrasts that later informed his critiques of Islamic doctrine.[15] He did not pursue a traditional university degree but enrolled in law courses at the Open University of the Netherlands.[16][17] This informal study complemented his early professional roles in insurance and public administration, where he gained practical knowledge of policy implementation without formal academic credentials.[18] Early influences included his Roman Catholic family upbringing—son of a printing company director—though he describes himself as non-religious, emphasizing instead empirical observations from travel over doctrinal adherence.[18] The Middle Eastern sojourn highlighted for him the resilience of Israeli society against authoritarian neighbors, shaping a worldview prioritizing Western liberal values and skepticism toward unchecked multiculturalism.[19] These formative experiences preceded his entry into politics, distinguishing his approach from ideologically driven peers by grounding positions in personal encounters rather than abstract theory.Pre-political career
Professional roles in public administration
From 1990 to 1998, Wilders served as a beleidsmedewerker (policy advisor) for the parliamentary faction of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) in the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer), focusing primarily on social security, asylum, and immigration policy.[20] In this capacity, he contributed to policy development and drafted speeches for VVD members, gaining experience in legislative processes and public policy formulation within the Dutch parliamentary system.[21] This role represented his entry into the administrative apparatus supporting parliamentary functions, bridging non-elected advisory work with the public sector's legislative oversight.[22] Prior to this, following his time studying at the Open University and working in the private health insurance sector after travels abroad in the early 1980s, Wilders had limited direct involvement in public administration roles outside party-affiliated positions.[23] His advisory work for the VVD faction honed skills in analyzing government programs on welfare and migration, informing his later political stances, though it remained tied to partisan rather than neutral civil service. No evidence indicates he held independent civil servant positions in municipal or national bureaucracy before 1990.[18]Initial political exposure
Wilders' initial political exposure occurred in 1990 when he was hired as a parliamentary assistant and speechwriter for Frits Bolkestein, the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).[24][25] In this capacity, he supported Bolkestein's policy development and public communications within the center-right party, focusing on issues such as economic liberalism and societal integration. This role immersed Wilders in the internal dynamics of Dutch politics, where he observed and contributed to debates on immigration and cultural preservation, themes central to Bolkestein's tenure. Bolkestein, serving as VVD leader from 1990 to 1998, had delivered a pivotal 1991 speech in Antwerp warning of the challenges posed by large-scale immigration from non-Western countries without assimilation, which resonated with emerging public concerns.[12] Wilders later credited Bolkestein's forthright approach as a formative influence on his own views regarding multiculturalism and national identity. Through his eight years assisting Bolkestein, Wilders gained practical experience in parliamentary procedures, party strategy, and media engagement, transitioning from administrative support to active political advocacy. This period marked his shift from public sector roles to direct involvement in partisan politics, laying the groundwork for his candidacy as a VVD parliamentary candidate in the 1998 election.[26]Political ascent
Entry into VVD and early parliamentary roles (1998–2004)
Wilders was elected to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) as a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) following the general election on May 6, 1998, taking his seat on August 25, 1998.[20] His initial parliamentary tenure lasted until the 2002 election, after which he was re-elected but with a brief interruption during the transition period.[20] As a backbench MP, Wilders concentrated on policy areas including asylum seekers, immigration, and foreign affairs, reflecting the VVD's emphasis on controlled migration amid rising inflows in the late 1990s.[27] Wilders first achieved notable visibility within Dutch politics in 2002, during the upheaval caused by the rapid ascent of populist politician Pim Fortuyn, who criticized multiculturalism and advocated for immigration restrictions. While remaining loyal to the VVD, Wilders echoed some of Fortuyn's concerns about cultural integration and excessive immigration, positioning himself as a voice for tougher controls within the liberal-conservative party.[27] This period marked his transition from relative obscurity to a more outspoken role, though he continued serving in opposition during the second Kok cabinet (PvdA-VVD-D66-GreenLeft) until the VVD's return to government in 2002 under the first Balkenende cabinet.[28] He retained his seat through the 2003 election, focusing on parliamentary scrutiny of integration policies and EU enlargement debates, until departing the VVD in September 2004.[1]Departure from VVD and founding of PVV (2004–2006)
In September 2004, Geert Wilders resigned his membership from the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), primarily due to fundamental disagreements with the party's support for Turkey's accession to the European Union.[29] The VVD leadership, including parliamentary leader Gerrit Zalm, endorsed ongoing negotiations for Turkish EU membership, which Wilders argued would exacerbate mass immigration from a culturally incompatible society and undermine Dutch sovereignty and security.[29] Despite the rift, Wilders retained his seat as an independent member of the House of Representatives, continuing to advocate for stricter immigration controls and opposition to further EU expansion.[1] Wilders' departure reflected broader tensions within the VVD between its liberal internationalist wing and emerging skepticism toward unchecked globalization and multiculturalism, amplified by events like the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by an Islamist extremist, which heightened public concerns over integration failures. As an independent, Wilders criticized the VVD for diluting conservative principles in favor of elite consensus on European integration, positioning himself as a defender of national identity against what he described as naive policies inviting demographic shifts.[1] Following nearly two years as an independent parliamentarian, Wilders founded the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) in 2006, establishing it as a new political entity to advance his platform of reduced immigration, cultural preservation, and Euroskepticism without the constraints of traditional party structures.[1] Unlike conventional Dutch parties, the PVV was organized as a foundation without formal members, granting Wilders sole authority over candidate selection and policy to prevent internal dissent and ensure ideological purity—a model designed to sustain his focus on issues like halting asylum inflows and opposing Islamic influences in Dutch society.[30] The party registered in time for the November 2006 general election, where it captured 5.9% of the vote and secured nine seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, marking a breakthrough for Wilders' independent venture.[1]Parliamentary career
Opposition leadership (2006–2023)
Wilders founded the Party for Freedom (PVV) in September 2006 after leaving the VVD, and led it to victory in the November 2006 general election, securing 9 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives and establishing himself as a prominent opposition figure.[31] From opposition benches, he focused on critiquing multiculturalism and immigration policies, arguing that unchecked non-Western immigration threatened Dutch culture and security.[23] In 2008, he released the short film Fitna, which juxtaposed Quranic verses with footage of terrorist attacks and violence to argue that Islam posed an existential threat to Western societies; the film provoked international condemnation and domestic legal challenges.[32] The PVV surged in the 2010 general election, winning 24 seats and becoming the third-largest party, after which Wilders agreed to a tolerance arrangement (gedoogakkoord) supporting the minority Rutte I cabinet led by VVD's Mark Rutte without joining it formally.[33] Under this deal, PVV influence contributed to stricter immigration measures and budget austerity, though Wilders withdrew support in April 2012 over disagreements on fiscal policy, precipitating the cabinet's collapse and early elections.[34] In the September 2012 election, PVV support dropped to 15 seats amid voter backlash.[35] Throughout the subsequent opposition periods, Wilders maintained a combative parliamentary presence, consistently opposing EU integration, advocating for an "Nexit" referendum, and demanding asylum suspensions and mass deportations of criminal immigrants.[6] In March 2014, at a PVV rally, he led supporters in chanting for "fewer Moroccans," prompting charges of group insult and incitement; he was convicted in December 2016 with no penalty imposed, maintaining the remarks reflected public sentiment on integration failures.[36] The PVV rebounded to 20 seats in the 2017 election, finishing second but excluded from Rutte II coalition formation due to other parties' refusal to govern with Wilders.[37] Support dipped to 17 seats in the 2021 election amid fragmented politics, yet Wilders remained a pivotal voice shaping debates on cultural preservation and sovereignty.[38] His leadership emphasized empirical critiques of policy outcomes, such as rising crime rates correlated with immigrant demographics in official statistics, positioning PVV as the primary parliamentary counter to establishment consensus on open borders and supranationalism.2023 general election victory and government formation attempts
The snap general election on November 22, 2023, was triggered by the collapse of Prime Minister Mark Rutte's fourth cabinet on July 7, 2023, primarily over irreconcilable differences on expanding asylum-seeker facilities amid rising immigration pressures.[6] Voter turnout reached approximately 77.5%, reflecting heightened public engagement compared to the 2021 election's 77.9%.[39] Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) secured a historic victory, winning 37 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives with 23.7% of the vote—more than doubling its 17 seats from 2021 and marking the first time the PVV emerged as the largest party.[6] [40] This outcome was attributed to widespread voter frustration with persistent housing shortages, inflation, and perceived failures in managing non-Western immigration, issues Wilders had campaigned on aggressively. Wilders immediately declared the result a mandate for his party to lead the government, stating on social media that "the center of the Netherlands is Party for Freedom" and pledging to prioritize strict border controls and a temporary halt to asylum inflows.[6] However, forming a coalition proved protracted and contentious, lasting over seven months—the longest in modern Dutch history—due to ideological clashes and reluctance from potential partners to accommodate the PVV's hardline stances on Islam and EU sovereignty.[41] Initial exploratory talks focused on a right-wing bloc comprising the PVV, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) (24 seats), New Social Contract (NSC) (20 seats), and Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) (7 seats), which together held a slim majority of 88 seats.[42] The process stalled early when Ronald Plasterk, the first informateur tasked with scouting coalition possibilities, resigned on November 27, 2023, after just days amid allegations of undisclosed business ties raising conflict-of-interest concerns.[43] Subsequent negotiators, including Kim Putters and later others, grappled with core disputes: NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt withdrew from talks in February 2024, citing irreconcilable differences over Wilders' insistence on becoming prime minister and the PVV's uncompromising asylum proposals, which Omtzigt viewed as constitutionally unfeasible.[44] VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz expressed similar hesitations, emphasizing the need for "normal politics" compatible with rule-of-law principles, while BBB prioritized agricultural subsidies but balked at fully endorsing PVV extremism. Wilders temporarily relinquished his prime ministerial ambitions in March 2024 to salvage negotiations, but talks repeatedly deadlocked over migration quotas, nitrogen emission rules, and budget priorities, underscoring deeper elite resistance to PVV dominance despite its electoral mandate.[42] Critics from centrist parties argued that Wilders' past rhetoric, including calls for banning the Quran and closing mosques, rendered him unfit for executive power, a position echoed in mainstream media but contested by PVV supporters as undemocratic gatekeeping. By mid-2024, exploratory efforts shifted toward an "extraordinary" non-partisan cabinet model to bypass personal leadership frictions, though this prolonged caretaker governance fueled public impatience with the fragmented political system.[45]Participation in Schoof cabinet (2024–2025)
Following the November 2023 general election, in which the Party for Freedom (PVV) secured the largest number of seats, Geert Wilders played a central role in negotiating the coalition agreement among the PVV, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), New Social Contract (NSC), and Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB).[46] The resulting Schoof cabinet, named after independent Prime Minister Dick Schoof, was sworn in on July 2, 2024, marking the first time PVV members held ministerial positions.[47] Wilders himself declined a cabinet post, opting instead to remain as PVV parliamentary leader to maintain direct oversight of legislative matters and public advocacy, while selecting the party's nominees.[48] The PVV received five ministerial portfolios, emphasizing Wilders' long-standing priorities on immigration control, economic protectionism, and infrastructure. These included Marjolein Faber as Minister of Asylum and Migration, Fleur Agema as Minister of Public Health and Welfare (also Deputy Prime Minister), Reinette Klever as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aid, Dirk Beljaarts as Minister of Economic Affairs, and Barry Madlener as Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management.[48] Faber's appointment to the migration portfolio aligned directly with PVV demands for stringent border policies, including the coalition agreement's provisions for a temporary halt to asylum applications and restrictions on family reunification.[49] Under Wilders' external leadership, the PVV influenced early cabinet actions on migration, such as the activation of an emergency law in September 2024 to suspend asylum procedures and prioritize deportations amid housing shortages and public security concerns.[50] Wilders publicly championed these measures, crediting them with advancing PVV objectives like reducing non-Western immigration and preserving Dutch cultural identity, though implementation faced legal challenges from courts and EU directives.[51] He also pushed for fiscal policies under Beljaarts to cut development aid budgets, redirecting funds toward domestic priorities, reflecting PVV skepticism of international commitments.[48] Wilders maintained a high-profile role in parliamentary debates, using his position to amplify coalition successes on nitrogen emission reductions for agriculture—supported by BBB—and critiques of EU overreach, while defending PVV ministers against opposition attacks on their lack of prior governmental experience.[52] This participation represented a shift from PVV's prior opposition stance, enabling partial realization of Wilders' platform, though internal coalition frictions over migration enforcement pace persisted into 2025.[8]Withdrawal from coalition and 2025 snap election campaign
On June 3, 2025, Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), directed his party's ministers to resign from the Schoof cabinet, citing unresolved disputes over immigration and asylum policies as the breaking point.[8] [53] The core disagreement involved Wilders' insistence on implementing emergency measures to drastically reduce asylum inflows, including closing borders to certain migrants and prioritizing deportations, which other coalition partners—such as the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), New Social Contract (NSC), and Democrats 66 (D66)—deemed unfeasible or contrary to legal obligations.[54] [9] Wilders framed the exit as a necessary stand against what he described as the coalition's betrayal of voter mandates from the 2023 election, where PVV had secured 37 seats on an anti-immigration platform.[55] The resignations triggered the immediate collapse of the four-party coalition, formed less than a year earlier in July 2024, leading Prime Minister Dick Schoof to announce the cabinet's resignation to King Willem-Alexander during a Council of Ministers meeting.[56] [57] Coalition partners condemned the move as irresponsible and opportunistic, arguing it undermined governance amid pressing issues like housing shortages and nitrogen emissions, though Wilders countered that migration pressures exacerbated these problems.[9] Schoof assumed a caretaker role, with the government continuing routine administration but unable to enact major new policies.[55] Opposition parties, including the Labour/GreenLeft alliance, demanded swift elections to resolve the impasse.[58] Parliament dissolved the House of Representatives on June 6, 2025, paving the way for snap general elections on October 29, 2025—earlier than the originally scheduled 2026 vote.[59] Wilders launched the PVV campaign emphasizing "controlled borders" and a "freeze on asylum," positioning the election as a referendum on multiculturalism and national sovereignty.[60] He held rallies, including one in Volendam on October 25, 2025, where supporters waved party flags and chanted against "mass migration," drawing thousands despite counter-protests.[61] Polls throughout the campaign showed PVV consistently leading with 30-35% support, bolstered by public frustration over persistent asylum seeker arrivals—over 40,000 in 2024 alone—and incidents of crime linked to migrant communities, though critics from left-leaning outlets attributed Wilders' surge partly to media amplification of isolated events.[62] [63] Wilders avoided formal alliances in the campaign, focusing on solo debates where he clashed with rivals like Frans Timmermans of Labour/GreenLeft over EU migration pacts, which he vowed to reject unilaterally if re-elected.[64] The PVV platform reiterated pledges for nitrogen reduction via agricultural incentives rather than farm buyouts, tax cuts for low earners, and withdrawal from EU climate accords if they hindered energy independence.[65] While mainstream sources highlighted risks of polarization, empirical data from prior PVV governance periods, such as tougher deportation enforcement under earlier coalitions, lent credence to Wilders' claims of policy efficacy in curbing irregular migration.[50] As of October 25, 2025, the race remained tight, with potential for a PVV-led majority or renewed coalition talks depending on seat distribution in the 150-member House.[66]Core political positions
Immigration policy and critique of multiculturalism
Geert Wilders has positioned immigration restriction as a cornerstone of his political platform since founding the Party for Freedom (PVV) in 2006, advocating for policies that prioritize Dutch cultural preservation and national security over open borders. He argues that mass immigration, particularly from non-Western and Muslim-majority countries, has overwhelmed public services, increased crime rates, and eroded social cohesion, citing data such as the Netherlands receiving over 46,000 asylum applications in 2023—the highest in EU history at the time—correlating with housing shortages and welfare strain.[67][68] The PVV's 2023 election manifesto, "Nederlanders Weer Op 1," called for a total "asielstop" (asylum halt), closure of borders to economic migrants and asylum seekers, deportation of criminal foreigners, and revocation of dual citizenship for those convicted of serious crimes, framing these as essential to restore Dutch primacy in access to housing, healthcare, and jobs.[69][67] In May 2025, amid coalition tensions, Wilders proposed a 10-point plan to further tighten controls, including deploying the Dutch military to secure borders, immediate deportation of rejected asylum seekers without appeals, suspension of family reunification, and withdrawal from UN refugee conventions if necessary to enable these measures.[3] These proposals reflect his long-standing view that existing EU and international frameworks, such as the Dublin Regulation, facilitate uncontrolled inflows that benefit smugglers and burden host nations, a stance bolstered by empirical trends like the Netherlands' net migration exceeding 100,000 annually in recent years, predominantly non-EU.[70] Wilders attributes policy failures to elite denial of integration challenges, pointing to statistics from Dutch government reports showing disproportionate involvement of non-Western immigrants in violent crime and welfare dependency.[71] Wilders critiques multiculturalism as a dogmatic ideology that assumes cultural equivalence, leading to parallel societies, ghettoization, and the suppression of native identities in favor of imported norms incompatible with liberal democracy. He has described the notion "that all cultures are equal" as "the worst recipe for any society," arguing it discourages assimilation and invites conflict, as evidenced by no-go zones and honor-based violence in Dutch cities with high immigrant concentrations.[72] In a 2015 address in Australia, he warned against adopting Europe's multicultural model, calling belief in cultural equality the "biggest disease of the Western world" and urging a return to monocultural policies that enforce shared values.[73] Drawing from first-hand observations of events like the 2004 assassination of Theo van Gogh by a Moroccan Islamist, Wilders contends that multiculturalism ignores causal links between certain immigrations and rising extremism, prioritizing tolerance over realism and resulting in eroded public trust and electoral backlash.[74]Views on Islam and cultural preservation
Geert Wilders characterizes Islam not merely as a religion but as a totalitarian political ideology incompatible with Western freedoms and democratic values. In a 2007 Dutch parliamentary debate on Islamic schools, he asserted that while the West encounters no issues with Judaism or Christianity, it faces profound problems with Islam due to its doctrinal opposition to core liberties such as freedom of speech and equality.[75] He has repeatedly distinguished his critique of Islamic doctrine from animosity toward individual Muslims, emphasizing in interviews that he opposes the ideology's supremacist elements rather than its adherents personally.[76] Wilders frames "Islamization" as an existential threat to European cultural identity, driven primarily by unchecked immigration from Muslim-majority countries and permissive multiculturalism policies. In a 2010 speech, he described this process as replacing military conquests with demographic shifts and cultural relativism, warning that major European cities already host large Islamic enclaves that erode native traditions.[77] He invokes historical concepts like hijra (Muhammad's migration to Medina) to argue that such immigration strategically advances Islamic dominance, citing projections of rapid Muslim population growth in Europe as evidence of irreversible cultural dilution absent intervention.[78] To preserve Dutch and broader Western heritage—encompassing secularism, individual rights, and national sovereignty—Wilders advocates halting this trend through stringent border controls and remigration incentives, positioning cultural preservation as a defense against what he terms an "invasion" incompatible with Enlightenment principles.[74] Early in his career, Wilders proposed aggressive de-Islamization measures, including a ban on the Quran, closure of mosques, and a tax on headscarves to curb symbolic displays of Islamic adherence. These ideas culminated in his 2008 short film Fitna, a 17-minute production juxtaposing Quranic verses calling for violence with media clips of jihadist attacks and beheadings to illustrate Islam's alleged inherent promotion of intolerance and terror.[79] The film, released amid threats to his life requiring constant security, drew widespread international condemnation from Muslim organizations and governments but was upheld by Dutch courts as protected speech following Wilders' 2011 acquittal on hate speech charges.[80] Over time, Wilders' policy prescriptions have evolved toward immigration restriction as the primary bulwark against Islamization, reflecting pragmatic adaptations while maintaining doctrinal consistency. The PVV's 2021 election program called for a dedicated Ministry of Immigration, Remigration, and De-Islamization to enforce deportations and cultural assimilation mandates.[81] By contrast, the 2025 program prioritizes a total asylum halt, immediate closure of reception centers, border pushbacks, and expulsion of criminal non-citizens, explicitly deeming Islam the greatest threat to freedom without renewing calls for Quran or mosque bans—attributed by observers to strategic broadening of appeal amid electoral gains.[82][83] This approach underscores his causal view that demographic containment, rather than direct prohibition of Islamic practice, is key to safeguarding Dutch cultural norms against supranational ideologies.[84]European Union and national sovereignty
Geert Wilders has long criticized the European Union for eroding national sovereignty, portraying it as an undemocratic supranational entity that imposes policies contrary to Dutch interests. He has advocated limiting Brussels' authority, particularly in areas like immigration, fiscal policy, and foreign affairs, arguing that the Netherlands should prioritize its own decision-making over collective EU mechanisms. In a September 2024 interview, Wilders described the EU as a "monster" that perpetually seeks greater powers, urging member states to withhold further competencies from it.[85] Following the United Kingdom's 2016 Brexit referendum, Wilders intensified calls for a Dutch equivalent, dubbed "Nexit," proposing a public vote on continued EU membership to reclaim sovereignty lost to EU treaties and institutions. He asserted that the EU was "finished" and that exiting would enable the Netherlands to control its borders, currency, and laws independently. The Party for Freedom (PVV), which Wilders founded and leads, incorporated Nexit advocacy into its platform, opposing EU enlargement, the adoption of the euro, and further integration toward a federal structure.[86][87] Wilders' stance evolved pragmatically after the PVV's victory in the November 2023 general election, shifting from outright exit demands toward renegotiating EU terms to enhance national veto powers and opt-outs. He has pushed for exemptions from EU-wide asylum and migration rules, emphasizing that sovereignty requires the ability to reject supranational mandates on border control. In September 2024, the Schoof cabinet—influenced by PVV participation—formally requested an opt-out from the EU's migration pact, reflecting Wilders' insistence on Dutch primacy over EU uniformity. While the PVV omitted explicit Nexit pledges from its 2024 European Parliament election manifesto, it retained commitments to curb EU overreach and foster a looser alliance of sovereign nations rather than centralized governance.[88][89][90]Foreign policy stances
Geert Wilders' foreign policy positions emphasize national sovereignty, alliances with democratic states facing Islamist threats, and pragmatic engagement in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war, often prioritizing fiscal restraint and Dutch interests over unconditional multilateral commitments. He has advocated for closer ties with the United States under leaders like Donald Trump, as evidenced by their meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit in June 2025, where Wilders described the discussion as "excellent."[91] His government's defense priorities included maintaining NATO contributions at standard levels while continuing naval presence in the Taiwan Strait to counter Chinese assertiveness.[92]Support for Israel
Wilders has been a vocal proponent of Israel, framing it as a bulwark against Islamic radicalism and criticizing European policies perceived as hostile to the Jewish state. In August 2025, he informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "millions" of Europeans back Israel, countering what he called criticism from "weak politicians and biased media."[93] This stance traces back to his experiences in Israel as a teenager, which influenced his worldview on cultural preservation and security threats.[94] He has delivered pro-Israel speeches, including one in Tel Aviv in December 2010, and in 2024 condemned Hamas as "savages" while supporting hostage releases from Gaza.[95] [96] In May 2025, Wilders opposed Dutch government criticism of Israel in EU contexts, asserting that such positions undermined national independence.[97]Positions on Russia and Ukraine
Wilders has supported Ukraine's defense against Russian invasion but with reservations about open-ended aid, opposing escalatory measures like deploying Dutch troops. In February 2024, following his election win, he indicated openness to additional military assistance beyond initial commitments.[98] The PVV-led coalition agreement in May 2024 reaffirmed political, military, financial, and moral backing for Kyiv.[99] By March 2025, amid tensions between Trump and Zelensky, Wilders expressed firm solidarity with Ukraine, deeming anti-Trump attacks counterproductive.[100] However, in his September 2025 campaign launch ahead of snap elections, he pledged to halt further Ukraine funding to redirect resources domestically, reflecting voter fatigue with expenditures exceeding €3.5 billion.[101] [102] This evolution underscores his preference for negotiated settlements over prolonged conflict involvement.[103]Support for Israel
Geert Wilders has consistently expressed strong support for Israel, framing it as a bulwark against Islamist extremism that aligns with European security interests. In a June 5, 2025, parliamentary session, he declared that "Israel is fighting our battle," emphasizing the shared struggle against radical Islam following the collapse of his coalition government.[104] This position stems from his broader critique of Islam as incompatible with Western values, positioning Israel as the frontline defender of Judeo-Christian civilization. Wilders has repeatedly visited Israel to underscore this alliance, including a meeting with President Isaac Herzog on March 11, 2024, where he pledged "full support" amid ongoing conflicts.[105] Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis, Wilders intensified his advocacy, condemning the massacre and urging unconditional backing for Israel's self-defense. On the one-year anniversary, October 7, 2024, he stated that honoring the victims requires full support for Israel in its "existential struggle" against Hamas and Hezbollah, criticizing global hesitancy as fueling antisemitism.[106] In December 2024, during another visit, he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and received the Jabotinsky Prize for Liberty from the Knesset, praising Israel's resilience and affirming that "millions of Europeans" stand with it despite opposition from "weak politicians and biased media."[107][93] Wilders has defended Israel's military actions in Gaza, asserting on October 19, 2025, that the campaign—resulting in over 67,000 Palestinian deaths—is not a war crime, with civilian casualties deemed "inevitable" in urban warfare against embedded terrorists.[108] Wilders opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, arguing that Jordan constitutes the "one and only true Palestinian state" based on historical demographics and the Hashemite Kingdom's origins. He has advocated relocating Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan or other Arab countries, a proposal that drew condemnation from Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League in November 2023 for denying Palestinian self-determination.[109] In July 2025, he mocked France's recognition of Palestine as national "suicide," reinforcing his rejection of a two-state solution in current territories.[110] These views have bolstered his alliances with Israeli right-wing figures while attracting criticism from left-leaning European outlets for exacerbating tensions, though Wilders maintains they reflect pragmatic realism against irredentist threats.[111]Positions on Russia and Ukraine
Geert Wilders has historically advocated for improved diplomatic relations with Russia, viewing it as a potential ally against shared threats such as terrorism and mass immigration, while condemning specific actions like the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and the annexation of Crimea. In 2017, he met with the Russian ambassador in The Hague to discuss cooperation and planned a self-funded visit to Moscow to engage with Russian parliamentarians, rejecting accusations of receiving Russian funding. This stance contrasted with broader European Russophobia, as Wilders argued for respecting Russia's geopolitical interests and treating it as an equal partner where possible.[112] Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Wilders and the Party for Freedom (PVV) adopted a more conditional approach toward Ukraine, prioritizing Dutch national interests over unconditional Western support. The PVV's 2023 election manifesto called for halting arms supplies to Ukraine to redirect resources domestically, a position that raised concerns among Ukraine's supporters about reduced Dutch military aid. Wilders has consistently opposed Dutch military escalation, rejecting proposals in February 2025 to send troops for a European peacekeeping mission and stating that Ukrainian men in the Netherlands should return to defend their country. He has also criticized the influx of Ukrainian refugees, arguing in February 2024 that they should relocate to safer regions within Ukraine rather than burden Dutch social services.[113][102][114] Despite these reservations, Wilders has affirmed political and moral support for Ukraine's sovereignty, signaling willingness in February 2024 to consider additional aid packages amid coalition negotiations. The PVV-led coalition agreement in May 2024 reaffirmed military, financial, and diplomatic backing for Ukraine. However, positions hardened during the 2025 snap election campaign, with Wilders pledging in September 2025 to cease further aid transfers, emphasizing that Dutch taxpayer funds should address domestic housing and healthcare crises instead. In March 2025, amid tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Wilders explicitly backed Ukraine "with conviction," urging focus on unity rather than internal Western disputes, though he withheld unconditional endorsement of large sums like a proposed €3.5 billion package without stricter conditions. This pragmatic evolution reflects Wilders' nationalism, balancing anti-aggression rhetoric against fiscal conservatism and skepticism of open-ended commitments.[98][99][101][100]Social and economic policies
Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) endorses a welfare chauvinist model, advocating for robust social welfare provisions including healthcare, pensions, and unemployment benefits, but with strict eligibility limited to Dutch nationals and excluding recent immigrants or asylum seekers to prioritize native citizens.[115] This approach aims to preserve the welfare state's sustainability amid perceived fiscal pressures from immigration, as articulated in PVV platforms emphasizing "Dutch first" allocation of public resources.[116] Economically, the PVV proposes populist measures to alleviate cost-of-living burdens, such as abolishing income tax for earners below €40,000 annually, increasing child benefits by €12 per child monthly, raising the state pension (AOW) by 5%, and eliminating inheritance tax exemptions while expanding mortgage interest deductions.[117] The party opposes EU-driven fiscal constraints and climate policies, calling for withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and redirecting funds from green subsidies to infrastructure, agriculture, and defense spending, which it seeks to double to 2% of GDP by reallocating from foreign aid.[118] These positions reflect a protectionist stance favoring national industries, including support for farmers against nitrogen emission regulations, framed as essential for food security and rural economies.[119] On social policies, the PVV upholds the Netherlands' longstanding liberal traditions, supporting legalized euthanasia, abortion access up to 24 weeks, regulated prostitution, and the policy of tolerance (gedoogbeleid) toward soft drugs like cannabis in licensed coffee shops.[118] Wilders has positioned these freedoms as core elements of Dutch identity under threat from Islamic immigration, arguing that multiculturalism erodes secular liberties without proposing rollbacks on existing laws.[120] The party also favors reducing bureaucracy in healthcare to shorten wait times and increase funding for elderly care, while advocating for tougher penalties on crime linked to social decay, such as gang violence in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods.[121]Stance on LGBT issues
Geert Wilders supports the legal recognition of same-sex relationships and homosexuality as compatible with Dutch freedoms, viewing them as achievements of Western culture under threat from Islamic immigration. He has argued that multiculturalism endangers gay safety, citing higher rates of anti-homosexual violence in areas with large Muslim populations.[122] In a 2010 interview, Wilders stated: "There is no equality between our culture and the retarded Islamic culture. Look at their views on homosexuality or women," emphasizing cultural incompatibility.[123] The Party for Freedom (PVV) has addressed anti-gay violence in parliamentary debates, with spokesperson Martin Bosma asserting in 2007 that such incidents, often linked to Moroccan youth, represent systemic issues rather than isolated events, calling for stricter immigration controls to protect victims.[124] This stance aligns with PVV's broader defense of liberal values, including tolerance for homosexuality, against what Wilders describes as Islam's inherent hostility, as evidenced by sharia-prescribed punishments like death for sodomy in some interpretations.[18] On transgender matters, Wilders and PVV exhibit greater skepticism, critiquing aspects of gender ideology as excessive. Prior to the 2023 election, activists warned that PVV governance could halt expansions like self-identification for gender markers on documents, potentially reversing youth transition policies amid ongoing medical reviews.[125] [126] The PVV's 2023 manifesto omitted rollbacks to same-sex marriage or adoption—legal since 2001 and 2014, respectively—but focused instead on curbing immigration to safeguard existing LGBT protections from cultural erosion.[127] Wilders reiterated commitment to LGBT rights in a January 2017 speech in Germany, linking them to opposition against Islamist threats while congratulating U.S. President Donald Trump.[128] This positioning reflects a selective advocacy: robust on homosexuality to underscore anti-Islam arguments, but restrained on transgender expansions amid concerns over rapid policy shifts.[129]Other domestic priorities
Wilders and the Party for Freedom (PVV) emphasize "socially right-wing" policies aimed at bolstering Dutch purchasing power and welfare provisions, particularly through tax reductions on everyday essentials and enhancements to social services. In the PVV's 2023 election manifesto, titled Nederlanders Weer Op 1, the party proposed eliminating the value-added tax (BTW) on groceries, reducing it from 9% to 0%, alongside cuts to energy taxes, BTW on energy, and fuel excise duties, with the abolition of the aircraft passenger tax.[130] These measures are intended to alleviate cost-of-living pressures, complemented by an increase in the minimum wage to support low-income households.[130] On healthcare, the PVV seeks to expand access and efficiency by abolishing the mandatory deductible (eigen risico), currently set at €385 annually, and incorporating dental care into the basic health insurance package.[130] The manifesto calls for slashing administrative overhead in the sector to redirect funds toward patient care, including the construction of additional nursing home beds and senior housing to address aging population needs.[130] In education, priorities focus on foundational skills, mandating greater emphasis on language and mathematics in curricula while capping administrative costs at 20% of the budget to ensure at least 80% reaches classrooms.[130] For pensions, the PVV advocates lowering the state pension age (AOW) to 65 from the scheduled rise toward 67, enhancing the elderly tax credit (ouderenkorting), and repealing the 2023 Pension Future Act to preserve defined-benefit systems.[130] Housing policy under Wilders stresses affordability, proposing reductions in social housing rents, expansions to rental subsidies (huurtoeslag), and accelerated construction of social, mid-segment, and owner-occupied dwellings to tackle shortages.[130] Environmentally, the PVV rejects stringent regulations, pledging to dismantle nitrogen emission rules and climate subsidies, maintain coal and gas-fired power plants, and invest in new nuclear facilities for energy security over renewable mandates.[130] These positions reflect a broader skepticism toward what the party terms overly burdensome green transitions, prioritizing economic pragmatism.[130]Public reception and impact
Domestic support base and electoral successes
Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) has cultivated a domestic support base among voters disillusioned with mainstream parties, particularly those emphasizing restrictions on immigration and asylum inflows, preservation of Dutch cultural norms, and reductions in EU influence. Surveys indicate that PVV supporters are disproportionately lower-educated, with stronger backing from manual laborers and rural residents compared to urban professionals, though recent gains have broadened appeal to include former non-voters and disillusioned centrists driven by housing shortages and perceived failures in integration policies. This base reflects nativist sentiments prioritizing national identity over multiculturalism, with polling showing high euroscepticism and opposition to further expansion of welfare benefits for non-citizens among adherents.[131][132][116] The PVV's electoral trajectory began modestly after its founding in 2006, achieving breakthrough in the 2010 general election with 15.45% of the vote and 24 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, securing third place and enabling it to provide external support for the center-right minority coalition of VVD and CDA under Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Support dipped in 2012 to 10.1% and 15 seats amid coalition tensions, but rebounded in 2017 to 13.1% and 20 seats, maintaining relevance despite not entering government. The party's positions gained traction in subsequent cycles, yielding 17 seats in 2021 at 17.7% amid rising immigration debates.[33] The PVV's pinnacle came in the November 22, 2023, snap election, where it captured 23.54% of the vote and 37 seats, more than doubling its prior representation to become the largest parliamentary faction for the first time, fueled by voter frustration over uncontrolled asylum seeker arrivals exceeding 100,000 annually and related strains on housing and services. This outcome marked a rejection of the incumbent four-party coalition's migration policies, propelling Wilders to declare intentions to lead a government focused on "the Netherlands first." Coalition negotiations ensued, culminating in July 2024 with PVV joining a right-wing alliance including VVD, NSC, and BBB, forming a cabinet under non-partisan Prime Minister Dick Schoof—Wilders' first direct influence in executive power—prioritizing asylum caps and deportation accelerations. The government's collapse in June 2025 over unresolved asylum disputes underscored PVV's uncompromising stance but affirmed its role in shifting Dutch politics toward stricter border controls.[6][133][134][50]| Election Year | Vote Share (%) | Seats Won (out of 150) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.45 | 24 | Third place; supported minority government[33] |
| 2017 | 13.1 | 20 | Retained opposition influence amid immigration focus |
| 2023 | 23.54 | 37 | Largest party; led to 2024 coalition entry[6] |
Criticisms from political opponents and media
Political opponents, particularly from center-left parties like GroenLinks-PvdA and the former VVD under Mark Rutte, have accused Geert Wilders of exacerbating social divisions through his rhetoric on immigration and Islam, labeling it as xenophobic and a threat to Dutch multiculturalism. In the lead-up to the 2023 elections, Rutte warned against being deceived by Wilders' moderated tone, portraying him as fundamentally unreliable and unfit for coalition governance due to his history of inflammatory statements.[135] Following the 2025 coalition collapse over asylum policy disputes, Rutte publicly deemed Wilders untrustworthy, citing a "fundamental lack of trust" in his ability to sustain stable leadership.[136] Critics from the left, including protesters and parliamentarians aligned with GroenLinks-PvdA, have highlighted Wilders' proposals to ban the Quran, close mosques, and impose strict asylum restrictions as fostering Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslim communities. For example, after his PVV's 2023 electoral win, GroenLinks figures expressed alarm that a Wilders premiership would institutionalize anti-Muslim policies, potentially leading to heightened societal tensions and reduced rights for immigrants.[137] A notable instance cited by opponents is Wilders' 2014 rally remark prompting supporters to chant for "fewer Moroccans," which resulted in his 2016 conviction for group insult under Dutch law—a ruling upheld by the Supreme Court in September 2020—and was decried as incitement to hatred targeting ethnic minorities.[138][139] Mainstream media outlets have amplified these charges, frequently framing Wilders as a far-right extremist whose views endanger democratic norms and social cohesion. International publications such as The Guardian have described his discourse as "offensive, hostile and unrepentant," focusing on past calls for cultural assimilation or deportation of dual-nationality criminals as evidence of radicalism.[140] Similarly, The New York Times portrayed him as a "disruptive and divisive force on the far right," attributing pre-2023 coalition exclusions to the perceived toxicity of his anti-Islam stance.[141] Domestic and European media coverage post-2025 government fallout has intensified scrutiny, with outlets like Le Monde noting mounting criticism for destabilizing politics through uncompromising demands on migration.[142] Individual politicians, such as GroenLinks MP Stephan van Baarle, have escalated personal attacks, confronting Wilders in parliament in August 2025 by calling him "utterly evil" for alleged harm to vulnerable groups.[143] These portrayals often originate from left-leaning sources, which opponents of Wilders argue selectively emphasize his rhetoric while downplaying empirical concerns over integration failures and crime statistics linked to certain immigrant cohorts.International perceptions and alliances
Geert Wilders has cultivated alliances with prominent conservative and nationalist leaders emphasizing national sovereignty and immigration restriction. On June 25, 2025, during the NATO summit in The Hague, Wilders met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines, describing the encounter as "excellent" and centered on the necessity for stricter immigration measures across Western nations.[91][144] Trump has publicly endorsed Wilders' positions on Islam and immigration, calling him a "nice guy" in reference to their discussions.[145] In the European Parliament, following the 2024 elections where the PVV secured significant gains, the party joined the Patriots for Europe group initiated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, aligning with other nationalist parties focused on curbing EU centralization and migration flows.[146][147] This affiliation positions Wilders within a bloc advocating for a "Europe of sovereign nations," though it diverges from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's European Conservatives and Reformists group, reflecting tactical differences despite shared anti-immigration priorities.[148] Internationally, Wilders is perceived as a vanguard of populist nationalism, earning praise from U.S. conservatives and European right-wing figures for challenging multiculturalism and Islamic influence, as evidenced by his appearance at the 2024 CPAC Hungary event.[149] However, mainstream outlets frequently characterize him as "far-right," a label Wilders rejects, attributing it to opposition from establishment media biased against restrictionist policies on immigration and EU integration.[150][151] His stances have inspired similar movements, with Trump's 2024 victory eliciting celebratory responses from Wilders as a validation of their shared worldview.[152]Personal life and security
Family and relationships
Geert Wilders was born on 6 September 1963 in Venlo, Netherlands, into a Catholic family.[153] His mother was born in Sukabumi in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), making Wilders a second-generation immigrant through her side.[154] He has one older brother, Paul Wilders (born around 1955), and two sisters.[153] Wilders' relationship with his brother Paul has been strained due to political differences, with Paul publicly criticizing Geert's anti-immigration and anti-Islam rhetoric, including via social media after events like the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack.[155] Geert blocked Paul on Twitter (now X) in December 2016 following such criticism.[155] Despite this, the brothers maintain occasional family contact, such as at their mother's birthday gatherings, though political topics are avoided; Paul has noted their parents once threatened to evict Geert from home over his behavior during youth.[155] In 1992, Wilders married Krisztina Wilders (née Márfai), a Hungarian-born former diplomat of Jewish descent.[153] The couple has no children, and due to ongoing security threats, they meet infrequently, no more than twice a week, with Krisztina's current residence undisclosed.[153] Wilders maintains a low public profile regarding other personal relationships, consistent with his security-driven seclusion.[153]Death threats and protective measures
Geert Wilders has received death threats since the early 2000s, primarily from Islamist extremists reacting to his criticism of Islam and related policies, such as his 2008 short film Fitna and calls to ban the Quran.[156][5] The threats intensified following the November 2004 assassination of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by an Islamist radical, after which Wilders, who had collaborated with van Gogh on a letter criticizing the treatment of women under Islam, began receiving explicit warnings of murder.[157] This led to his placement under full-time police protection in late 2004, a measure that has continued uninterrupted for over two decades as of 2025.[158][159] The threats have included fatwas and public incitements, such as a 2010 edict by a Pakistani imam calling for Wilders's death over his proposal to criminalize the Quran in the Netherlands, which prompted over 50,000 responses in a poll endorsing execution.[156] In September 2024, a Dutch court convicted two Pakistani nationals of inciting Wilders's murder via online calls for jihadists to target him, stemming from backlash to his Muhammad cartoons and anti-Islam stance; they received four-year sentences.[160] More recently, in October 2025, Wilders suspended campaign activities after Belgian authorities foiled a jihadist plot targeting him alongside other politicians, involving drone attacks planned by arrested suspects linked to Islamist networks.[161][158] Dutch police also detained a man that month for livestreamed threats naming Wilders ahead of elections.[162] Protective measures involve continuous armed surveillance by a specialized Dutch military police unit typically deployed for high-risk operations abroad, such as embassy security in Iraq and Afghanistan.[163] Wilders resides in secure, undisclosed locations, travels in armored vehicles with escorts, and avoids public appearances without clearance, resulting in a highly restricted personal life.[157] A 2017 security breach saw a bodyguard arrested for allegedly leaking Wilders's location to a Moroccan criminal gang, prompting temporary campaign halts and heightened protocols.[164] Occasionally, he utilizes elite Hungarian bodyguards provided by the Orbán government during visits there, reflecting international alliances amid persistent domestic risks.[165] These arrangements underscore the sustained Islamist motivation behind the threats, tied directly to Wilders's advocacy for restricting Islamic immigration and symbols.[159]Lifestyle adaptations due to security
Due to persistent death threats from Islamist extremists since 2004, following the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh, Geert Wilders has resided exclusively in undisclosed safe houses provided by Dutch authorities, forgoing ownership of a personal home or fixed address to mitigate risks.[166][155] This arrangement, ongoing as of 2025, confines his living space to secure locations where his movements are continuously monitored and restricted.[159] Wilders' daily routines are severely limited by round-the-clock armed protection, rendering ordinary activities impossible without escort; he cannot cross the street alone, shop independently, or engage in spontaneous outings, a state of isolation that has persisted for over two decades.[166][150] His world is largely restricted to the Dutch parliament—where the Party for Freedom operates from a secured corridor to avoid casual interactions—and pre-vetted public events, with security personnel present even at his apartment and limited family gatherings.[166][155] Social and professional contacts are minimized to reduce vulnerabilities, isolating him from colleagues, prohibiting visits to communal spaces like the parliamentary bar, and straining family ties, as politics remains a taboo subject during rare meetings, such as annual birthdays.[166][155] Travel, once a hallmark of his pre-threat globetrotting lifestyle, now requires armored convoys and advance safe-house setups abroad, contributing to a broader sense of life placed "on hold" amid perceived existential dangers.[166] These adaptations, unique in European politics, underscore the personal toll of his security regime, which includes placement on Taliban and al Qaeda hit lists.[159][166]Legal and judicial challenges
2009 hate speech complaint
In late 2008, following the online release of Geert Wilders' 17-minute film Fitna on March 27—which juxtaposed Quranic verses with footage of terrorist attacks, antisemitic riots, and public executions to argue that Islam promotes violence—over 60 formal complaints were lodged against him with Dutch authorities.[167] These complaints, primarily from Muslim organizations such as the Contact Organ for Muslims and Government (CMO) and individual Dutch-Moroccans, alleged violations of Articles 137c and 137d of the Dutch Penal Code, which criminalize public insults to a group based on race or religion (group defamation) and incitement to hatred, discrimination, or violence against such groups.[168] Wilders' film and prior statements, including equating the Quran to Mein Kampf, advocating its ban as a fascist text, calling for the closure of mosques and Islamic schools in the Netherlands, and labeling Islam a "retarded" and "violent" ideology, formed the basis of the accusations.[167][169] The Dutch Public Prosecution Service reviewed the complaints and, on September 23, 2008, declined to initiate proceedings, concluding that Wilders' remarks constituted legitimate political criticism of religious doctrine and cultural practices rather than direct calls to hatred or discrimination against persons, thus protected under Article 7 of the Dutch Constitution guaranteeing freedom of expression.[167] This decision aligned with prior prosecutorial discretion in similar cases involving public debate on immigration and integration. Five complainants, including human rights groups, an imam, and a leftist politician, appealed the non-prosecution to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, arguing that Wilders' rhetoric exceeded acceptable discourse and fostered hostility toward Muslims as a religious and ethnic group (particularly Arabs).[167] On January 21, 2009, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal overturned the prosecutor's decision in a 4-1 ruling, finding sufficient indicia of offenses under Articles 137c and 137d to warrant a full criminal investigation and trial.[167][170] The majority judges determined that statements such as Wilders' description of the Quran as a "violent book" comparable to Nazi ideology and his portrayal of Islamic headscarves as symbols of "oppression and backwardness" could be interpreted as demeaning Muslims collectively on religious and ethnic grounds, potentially inciting discrimination irrespective of his intent to critique ideology alone.[167] The dissenting judge emphasized that political hyperbole in parliamentary and media contexts should not trigger prosecution, highlighting tensions between hate speech prohibitions—often enforced more stringently against critics of minority religions—and robust democratic debate.[170] The court mandated the Public Prosecution Service to prosecute, framing the case as necessary to uphold public order amid rising societal polarization over Islam, though critics, including Wilders, contended the ruling exemplified selective application of speech laws favoring protected groups over unpopular viewpoints on cultural assimilation.[167][169] Wilders responded to the ruling by vowing to defend his positions in court, asserting that "freedom of speech is under attack" and that the charges represented an attempt to silence legitimate concerns about Islamic supremacism and its incompatibility with Dutch values, rather than genuine incitement.[167] He appealed the appeals court's order to the Dutch Supreme Court, which in 2010 upheld the mandate for prosecution, paving the way for the substantive trial to commence in January 2010.[171] The 2009 decision drew international attention, with supporters viewing it as evidence of institutional bias toward multiculturalism—evident in Dutch jurisprudence prioritizing group harmony over individual dissent—while opponents argued it conflated ideological critique with ethnic animus, a distinction central to free speech principles in liberal democracies.[172]2016–2017 trial and acquittal
In March 2014, following local elections, Geert Wilders addressed supporters at a Party for Freedom (PVV) rally in The Hague, where he posed the rhetorical question, "Dear patriots, do you want more Moroccans or fewer?" to an enthusiastic crowd that responded with chants of "Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!" Wilders then affirmed, "We'll handle that," pledging that a stronger PVV presence in parliament would reduce the number of Moroccans in the Netherlands through measures like border controls and deportation of criminal immigrants.[173][174] The remarks, broadcast live, prompted over 6,000 complaints to Dutch authorities, alleging violations of hate speech laws, leading prosecutors to charge Wilders with group insult under Article 137c of the Dutch Penal Code (insulting a population group based on race, origin, or nationality) and incitement to discrimination under Article 137d (publicly inciting hatred or discrimination against such a group).[175][172] The trial commenced on October 31, 2016, before the District Court of The Hague, but Wilders boycotted the opening sessions, asserting judicial bias due to the panel's prior involvement in unrelated controversial cases and accusing the court of political motivation amid his rising electoral influence.[176][177] Proceedings continued without him for initial stages, featuring witness testimonies from legal experts, psychologists, and victims who described emotional harm from the statements, while defense arguments emphasized the political context of immigration policy debate and Wilders' consistent focus on criminality and cultural incompatibility rather than inherent racial traits.[173][178] The court rejected motions to dismiss, including claims of prosecutorial overreach, and Wilders eventually participated in later hearings, framing his comments as legitimate democratic expression on demographic policy.[174][179] On December 9, 2016, the court convicted Wilders on both counts, ruling that his statements collectively insulted Moroccans as a group by portraying them negatively based on national origin and incited supporters to discriminate against them, though it distinguished the remarks as targeting nationality rather than ethnicity per se.[180][175][173] Despite the guilty verdict, the judges imposed no penalty—neither imprisonment, fine, nor community service—citing mitigating factors such as the absence of prior convictions, the political nature of the speech, and Wilders' status as a lawmaker fulfilling voter mandates on immigration.[174] Wilders hailed the outcome as a "victory for freedom of expression," arguing it validated his right to critique immigration policies without fear, while critics, including prosecutors, expressed satisfaction with the conviction's affirmation that such rhetoric crossed legal bounds on public discourse.[173][175] He filed an immediate appeal in late 2016, with proceedings extending into subsequent years, contending the trial exemplified selective enforcement against populist voices on integration issues.[181]Subsequent legal actions and implications
In September 2020, the Court of Appeal in The Hague reviewed Wilders' conviction from the district court, acquitting him of charges of incitement to discrimination and direct incitement to hatred due to insufficient evidence of intent to provoke unlawful acts, while upholding the finding of group insult against Moroccans under Article 137c of the Dutch Criminal Code; no penalty was imposed.[182][183] The prosecution subsequently appealed this partial acquittal to the Supreme Court, arguing that the appeals court had misinterpreted the scope of incitement under Dutch law.[184] On July 6, 2021, the Dutch Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) dismissed Wilders' final appeal and upheld the group insult conviction, affirming that his 2014 rally statements—leading supporters in chanting "Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!" in response to his query about desiring fewer Moroccans—constituted deliberate insult to a population group based on race or origin, without requiring proof of discriminatory intent for liability under the statute; the court imposed no further penalty, noting the original sentence's proportionality.[185][186] This marked the exhaustion of domestic appeals, leaving the conditional conviction on record without tangible sanctions such as fines or imprisonment. The rulings had limited practical legal consequences for Wilders, as the absence of punishment preserved his eligibility for public office and political activity, enabling his continued leadership of the Party for Freedom (PVV) and participation in the 2023 general election, where PVV secured 37 seats.[187] However, the process reinforced debates on the boundaries of political speech in the Netherlands, with Wilders publicly denouncing the proceedings as a "political trial" and "witch hunt" designed to silence criticism of immigration policies, citing the judiciary's reliance on subjective interpretations of "insult" as evidence of institutional bias against populist viewpoints. Critics, including legal scholars, argued the convictions highlighted tensions between Article 7 of the Dutch Constitution (guaranteeing free expression) and hate speech provisions, potentially chilling robust debate on demographic issues, though empirical data on post-ruling speech patterns showed no measurable suppression of similar rhetoric in Dutch politics.[183] No additional prosecutions against Wilders for related statements have been reported since 2021.International activities
Engagements in the United States
In February 2009, Geert Wilders participated in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., delivering a speech that highlighted the perceived threat of Islamization to Western civilization and called for robust defenses of freedom of speech and national identity.[188][189] Earlier that month, on February 23, he spoke at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City, arguing that free speech was under assault in Europe due to restrictions on criticism of Islam and urging Americans to remain vigilant against similar encroachments.[190] Wilders returned to the United States in October 2009 for additional public addresses amid heightened international attention following his film Fitna and legal challenges in the Netherlands. On October 20, he spoke at Temple University in Philadelphia, framing Islam as a political ideology incompatible with democratic values and advocating for policies to halt its expansion.[191][192] The following day, October 21, he addressed students at Columbia University in New York, reiterating concerns over Islamization and the erosion of free expression in Western societies.[193] He also delivered a speech in Los Angeles during this period, praising American resilience while critiquing European multiculturalism as a failed experiment enabling cultural displacement.[77] These engagements positioned Wilders as a figure of interest among American conservative circles, where his critiques resonated with debates on immigration and security, though they drew criticism from outlets portraying his rhetoric as inflammatory.[194] In July 2016, Wilders attended the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, providing commentary on transatlantic political trends, including parallels between European populist movements and the U.S. presidential race.[195] His U.S. appearances underscored ongoing alliances with American figures skeptical of unchecked immigration and supranational governance, influencing discourse on these issues without formal diplomatic roles.[196]Efforts in Australia and Germany
In February 2013, Wilders toured Australia, delivering speeches in Melbourne and other cities where he warned audiences that Islam posed a threat to Western freedoms, prompting protests and clashes outside venues, including scuffles between demonstrators and attendees.[197][198] His visit highlighted limited resonance for his views in Australia compared to Europe, as multicultural policies there had integrated Muslim communities with fewer visible conflicts.[199] Wilders returned in October 2015 amid visa delays criticized by supporters as infringing on free speech, to endorse the launch of the Australian Liberty Alliance (ALA), a new party explicitly modeled on his Party for Freedom (PVV) and focused on restricting Islamic immigration and multiculturalism.[200][201] The Perth event was held secretly for security reasons, after which Wilders addressed media, declaring multiculturalism a failed policy that Australia must reject to avoid Europe's migrant-related challenges, and labeling the belief in cultural equality the "biggest disease of all."[73][202] The ALA aimed to contest elections but achieved minimal success, securing under 1% of votes in subsequent state and federal polls.[203] In Germany, Wilders spoke at a PEGIDA rally in Dresden on April 13, 2015, mocking Chancellor Angela Merkel's assertion that Muslims "belong to Germany" and aligning with the movement's calls to halt Islamic immigration, though attendance had declined to approximately 10,000 from prior peaks of 25,000.[204][205] This appearance sought to bolster Europe's nascent anti-Islam networks amid the 2015 migrant crisis, which saw over 1 million arrivals primarily from Muslim-majority countries.[201] Wilders has voiced support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), congratulating the party in February 2025 after it gained seats in the federal election, posting in all caps on social media to celebrate their anti-immigration advances as a model for Europe.[206] Such endorsements reflect his broader strategy of transnational alliances among nationalist parties, though AfD's domestic isolation limited collaborative efforts.[207]Advocacy in the United Kingdom and broader Europe
Wilders faced initial restrictions on entering the United Kingdom due to concerns over his anti-Islam views. In February 2009, UK authorities denied him entry at Heathrow Airport upon his arrival to screen his film Fitna at the House of Lords, citing risks of public unrest.[208] He successfully appealed the ban in October 2009, arguing it violated his freedom of expression, and entered the UK in March 2010 to screen the film before peers at Westminster.[209][210] Wilders has actively supported UK activists opposing Islamic extremism. In 2018, he invited Tommy Robinson, founder of the English Defence League, to the Dutch parliament and addressed a London rally demanding Robinson's release from prison, where he decried the UK's treatment of Robinson as suppression of whistleblowing on grooming gangs.[211] He publicly endorsed Robinson multiple times, stating in 2019 that more politicians should back him against elite silencing. Wilders also expressed admiration for UKIP leader Nigel Farage in 2014, predicting a European Parliament alliance among their parties to challenge EU integration.[212] In broader Europe, Wilders has advocated for cross-border cooperation against mass migration and Islamization through speeches and informal alliances. He has delivered addresses at conservative gatherings, including in Prague in 2019 and at CPAC Hungary in 2024, urging a united front for border closures and cultural preservation.[213] In February 2025, speaking in Madrid, he called on right-wing parties to reject multiculturalism and fight for national sovereignty, emphasizing shared threats from unchecked immigration.[213] Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) participated in the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group in the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019, aligning with eurosceptic parties like UKIP on restricting EU migration policies.[214] He has pushed for "remigration" policies continent-wide, criticizing EU open-border approaches as enabling cultural erosion, while seeking ties with parties such as Sweden Democrats and Danish People's Party, though formal pan-European coalitions have remained limited due to ideological variances.[88]Electoral history
Key election results and vote shares
Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) first participated in the Dutch general election held on 22 November 2006, receiving 5.9% of the valid votes and securing 6 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer).[215] This debut performance established the PVV as a new force in Dutch politics, focusing on anti-immigration and Eurosceptic positions. In the subsequent election on 9 June 2010, the PVV expanded dramatically to 15.5% of the vote and 24 seats, finishing in second place and providing external support (gedoogsteun) to the center-right Rutte I minority cabinet.[216] The 12 September 2012 election saw a decline, with the PVV obtaining 10.1% of the vote and 15 seats amid coalition tensions that led to the cabinet's collapse.[216] Recovery followed in the 15 March 2017 election, where the party gained 13.1% and 20 seats, though it remained in opposition during the Rutte III government.[216] The 2021 election, conducted over 15–17 March due to COVID-19 measures, resulted in 10.8% of the vote and 17 seats for the PVV.[216] The PVV achieved its strongest result in the 22 November 2023 snap election, capturing 23.5% of the vote and 37 seats to become the largest party in the House of Representatives for the first time.[217] [216] This outcome, more than doubling its previous seats, reflected heightened voter concerns over immigration and housing.[6]| Election date | Vote share (%) | Seats | Change in seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 November 2006 | 5.9 | 6 | – |
| 9 June 2010 | 15.5 | 24 | +18 |
| 12 September 2012 | 10.1 | 15 | -9 |
| 15 March 2017 | 13.1 | 20 | +5 |
| 15–17 March 2021 | 10.8 | 17 | -3 |
| 22 November 2023 | 23.5 | 37 | +20 |