The Controversial Rise of Geert Wilders: Islam and Dutch Politics

Geert Wilders: Islam in Dutch Politics

Geert Wilders, the founder and frontman of the Party for Freedom (PVV), made controversial claims in the run-up to the Dutch general election of 2017, stating that “the biggest problem in this country is Islamization.” His statements about the existential threat of Islamization to the identity and freedom of the country are not new to observers of Dutch politics. However, they may sound radical to foreign ears. Immigration in general, and Islam in particular, have been politicized in the Netherlands, a history in which Wilders plays a key role, though he is not the only protagonist.

Historical Background: Immigration Waves in the Netherlands

The Dutch Golden Age in the seventeenth century saw a massive wave of migration into the Netherlands, repeated after World War II. Asylum seekers and guest workers from Turkey and Morocco are significant non-Western migrants who account for the growth of Islam in the increasingly secularized Dutch society. Six per cent of the population of the Netherlands is now Muslim. The country is characterized by progressive social policies, including the world’s first legalization of same-sex marriage in 2001. Dutch politicians of conservative parties have embraced and incorporated progressive values, including female emancipation and gay rights.

The Rise of the Radical Right and the Emergence of Geert Wilders

The Netherlands was slow to adopt anti-immigration policies, but political parties advocating such policies became successful from the 1980s onwards. Dutch politics were characterized by an elite consensus on immigration, and leaders of the main political parties generally avoided using the issue in electoral campaigns at the expense of migrants. However, Frits Bolkesteijn, the leader of the liberal-conservative governmental party VVD from 1990 to 1998, became the most prominent figure of a conservative current that increasingly altered the Dutch intellectual and political landscape.

Contemporary Dutch Political Landscape and Societal Implications

Bolkesteijn’s position paved the way for Pim Fortuyn, a flamboyant politician who sought to appeal to anti-immigrant sentiment but was assassinated in 2002. Wilders took up the mantle of Fortuyn and has made anti-Islam statements for over a decade. Wilders’ PVV and its stance on immigration and Islam have evolved over time. These issues have significant societal implications and are depicted in the Dutch political landscape. Source

Geert Wilders: Islam in Dutch Politics

Historical Background: Immigration Waves in the Netherlands

The Rise of the Radical Right and the Emergence of Geert Wilders

Contemporary Dutch Political Landscape and Societal Implications

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