Voters in the Netherlands head to the polls today to vote in an election seen as a litmus test for the rise of far-right and populist parties in Europe.
Campaigning has highlighted the growth of populism, with anti-Islam far-right politician Geert Wilders and his PVV party dominating the agenda.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Wilders has been neck-and-neck with incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte, although the latest polls suggest the VVD leader might edge ahead.
With as many as 28 parties fielding candidates, it is highly unlikely any party will reach the 76 seats needed for a majority, meaning four or five will need to come together to form a coalition.
However, even if Wilders's PVV gets a high percentage of votes, it is unlikely to make it into government as all the major parties have ruled out collaborating with him.
Nevertheless, his "high profile and often inflammatory presence had moved much of the political debate to the far right's turf. The battle in many ways is already won," says the New York Times.
Rutte has already been accused of pandering to right-wing voters after he published an open letter telling immigrants to leave if they did not respect Dutch values.
"The extreme likelihood is that Rutte… will remain as PM under a coalition of various parties," predicts Stephen Bush in the New Statesman.
Analysts believe the diplomatic spat between the Netherlands and Turkey has also given the PM a timely boost.
Andre Krouwel, a political scientist at Amsterdam's Free University, told The Guardian the row "allowed Rutte to show himself as a statesman – and to send a Turkish minister packing".
He added: "What better publicity could a politician want a few days before an election? Rutte was able to show he could actually expel Turks, and to tell Wilders, 'You're just sitting there, tweeting'… This has won Rutte the election."
Infographic by www.statista.com for TheWeek.co.uk.
-
Political cartoons for November 1Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include insurance premiums, early voting in NYC, and more
-
Salted caramel and chocolate tart recipeThe Week Recommends Delicious dessert can be made with any biscuits you fancy
-
Meet Ireland’s new socialist presidentIn the Spotlight Landslide victory of former barrister and ‘outsider’ Catherine Connolly could ‘mark a turning point’ in anti-establishment politics
-
Daylight saving time: a Spanish controversyUnder the Radar Spain’s prime minister has called on the EU to remove biannual clock changes in Europe
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU partySpeed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
