Geert Wilders: the 'Dutch Donald Trump' who lives in a safe house — and could become the Netherlands' next PM
A "Dutch Donald Trump". 'A hateful far-right Islamophobe". "The EU's worst nightmare".
These are just some of the phrases used to describe Geert Wilders — the Netherlands' veteran far-right populist leader and the man on track to become the country's next Prime Minister — since his conservative Freedom Party (PVV)'s landslide victory in last night's elections.
The party took an astonishing 37 seats in the country's 150-seat lower house of parliament — more than any other and significantly more than expected in opinion polling over recent months. "I had to pinch my arm," Wilders, 60, said jubilantly, following the announcement as he called on his rivals to join him in forming a coalition government. “The Dutch will be No. 1 again. The people must get their nation back.”
His late spike in popularity might seem surprising to those who considered the Dutch to be a largely left-leaning nation, but it might have had something to do with recent events abroad. According to reports, Wilders' polling numbers doubled since the thanks to his anti-Islam stance (he's been under tight police protection since 2004 after multiple death threats) and pledges to end all asylum for refugees, deport criminals and ban all Islamic schools, Korans and mosques if he
