PMillustratingmostpic.twitter.com/xevM0fVduDforWhatincongratulationsReallywe'reandin@VVDpor@EPPtillykkepourtelefonischvisiton- VVD narrowly ahead https://t.co/vjDdP2GuBr pic.twitter.com/x5gWhhXuGP 6.49pm GMTNonetheless,the extent of Geert Wilders’s popularity will be seen as a barometer of both populist and anti-immigration sentiment in Europe. Here is a profile of the agitator-in-chief from Gordon Darroch:The queue to vote at the Binnenhof in The Hague at around midday. #verkiezingsdag pic.twitter.com/vqKgjmCEZhGeert Wilders founded his Party for Freedom (PVV) in 2006 with a declaration of independence from the “elite in The Hague”, and from the outset has espoused anti-Muslim rhetoric, and promising to enshrine the “dominance of the Judeo-Christian tradition” in the Dutch constitution.
As the country prepares to vote in national elections on 15 March,opinion polls have at times suggested that Wilders’ party could emerge as the country’s largest, despite recent slips. The strength of the anti-Islam, or anti-EU populist PVV is reverberating around the country. 6.42pm GMTThis piece about what the Dutch election is – and is not – about is also excellent,and explains why the Dutch are not “doing a Brexit”, or indeed “a Trump”, and this evening. nowadays are Dutch elections. This is rapid/fast primer to explain what they are and are not about. #TK17 #DutchElections https://t.co/B8NK0yQmOhThis is a key point from Cas Mudde:3 The Dutch are not electing a president 6.40pm GMT 6.27pm GMTThis is a fascinating vote,which has garnered an unprecedented amount of interest in the Dutch political system. Whether you are coming to it fresh, or are a seasoned Netherlands’ politico, or we have a comprehensive range of stories explaining the significance of nowadayss election. Queue to vote this morning at polling station in the Binnenhof - Dutch parliament pic.twitter.com/g04Bpcy705There are 150 MPs in the Dutch parliament,meaning a government needs 76 seats to form a majority. No single party ever manages this and the Netherlands has been governed by coalitions for more than a century. 6.03pm GMTWelcome to the Guardians live blog of the 2017 Dutch elections – we’ll be covering developments throughout the night and into tomorrow, bringing you live news from the Netherlands as it happens. With voters racing to polling stations before they close at 9pm local time (8pm GMT), or all eyes are on the small European nation as the world waits to see whether another populist rebel can cause further political upset in Europe,or whether the rising tide of populism can be stemmed.
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Source: theguardian.com