The Netherlands just elected a conservative prime minister

American Thinker ^ | 23 Nov, 2023 | Andrea Widburg

[MtnClimber]

In another sign that people have had it with leftism, Geert Wilders’ has finally won the prime ministership.

The Netherlands was, for decades, a bastion of Europe’s soft socialism. However, the disconnect leftist politicians had from the needs of their countrymen and the effects of a huge influx of Muslims have changed the country. Now, there’s a new sheriff in town.

When my mother was a little girl in Holland in the 1920s and 1930s, it was a conservative country with self-controlled but still famously tolerant people who were required, if they lived in Amsterdam, to scrub the stairs and sidewalks in front of their buildings. When Mom revisited Amsterdam in 1980, she was utterly appalled by the filth and decay we found. The last time I was there in 2012, the city was cleaner than in 1980, but I still found it an unsavory place outside of the core tourist areas.

In the modern era, the Netherlands has had the usual European leftist government. Beginning last year, the Dutch parliament announced it intended to cut back nitrogen emissions from farms by 30%. This would have meant that up to 11,200 Dutch livestock farmers would be driven out of business. There was even talk of turning the farms into refugee settlements. No wonder that, in March 2023, the recently formed Boer-Burger Beweging farmers’ party made a powerful showing in the Dutch parliament.

The Netherlands is also much less Dutch than it used to be. The Netherland’s population is currently almost 6% Muslim. Amsterdam itself has a Muslim population of 12%, a dangerous number for a free, civil society. In 2004, a Muslim assassinated Theo van Gogh, a filmmaker, for making a movie that offended the assassin’s sensibilities. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who had worked with van Gogh on the movie...

[Jim Noble]

I don’t want to throw black pills, but the history of Deep State victories over Trump and Boris Johnson suggests that election to a leadership role in a “liberal democracy” is insufficient to exercise power.

I imagine the Netherlands has a Deep State, as well.

[Wuli]

The title is in error.

It is not yet clear that Geert Wilders can form a parliamentary majority. His “win”, getting the largest share of parliament’s seats gives his pary just 25% of them. THough that is 2 seats bigger than the next largest group, he has to convince enough other parties to join in a parliamentary majority coalition. It is not yet clear he can do that,

[SunkenCiv]

They'd kept him out of power before with the usual toolbox of pseudo-democracies, so this situation is worth watching. The EU is set up to crush dissent, crush national sovereignty, and guarantee lack of accountability by the unelected bureaucrats who are the de facto maker of all the laws.

• Dutch Election: Geert Wilders Freedom Party WON 37 seats [11/23/2023]