Posted on 03/16/2017 4:39:38 AM PDT by Lazamataz
THE HAGUE The far-right politician Geert Wilders fell short of expectations in Dutch elections on Wednesday, gaining seats but failing to persuade a decisive portion of voters to back his extreme positions on barring Muslim immigrants and jettisoning the European Union, according to early results and exit polls.
The results were immediately cheered by pro-European politicians who hoped that they could help stall some of the momentum of the populist, anti-European Union and anti-Muslim forces Mr. Wilders has come to symbolize, and which have threatened to fracture the bloc.
Voters, who turned out in record numbers, nonetheless rewarded right and center-right parties that had co-opted parts of his hard-line message, including that of the incumbent prime minister, Mark Rutte. Some parties that challenged the establishment from the left made significant gains.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Perhaps. I hope not. I would have said the same thing about the USA until November 8.
Holland will be getting what it deserves for its descent into decadence, from the hands of the bearded ones it’s bringing in.
I’m with you. I don’t see this as a Trumpish tsunami, but the water is definitely rising for Wilders and the Sanity Party.
My reading of this is a bit more positive. Wilders never stood a chance of an outright win. Not one of the Dutch parties did. But he opened up what had been a forbidden conversation and shifted the political frame of reference, not only for the Netherlands but for Europe as a whole. Those happy faces on relieved Eurocrats mask a haunting realization that the trend is not their friend.
I hope you're right, but time is exactly what they're running out of.
It’s a little late to be getting to just the shifting conversation point. European cities are reaching the Islamic/barbarian/other tipping point. They are going to have to go from 0-60 in seconds if they seek to save their culture, people and continent.
Interestingly I’ve been working recently with a Dutch citizen. He said their constitution mandates a coalition government and that even if Wilders had exceeded expectations none of the other factions were expected to work with him. Which meant that he couldn’t have formed a government.
His take was the other factions would form against him.
That being said...I think this fella is pretty far left and there is more chance of compromise amongst the center-right then he thinks.
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