In a shopping centre in Volendam, a fishing port north of Amsterdam, on Friday, there was satisfaction about far-right politician Geert Wilders having dominated last Wednesday’s Dutch elections. “It’s a really good thing,” said Pieter, who didn’t want to give a last name. “There’s a shortage of houses, people are still coming. The borders have to shut.”
In pretty Volendam, long a Wilders stronghold, the Party for Freedom (PVV) won 42.9% of the vote, an 18.6 percentage point increase on 2021. The jaws of politicians, political scientists and Wilders himself dropped open when early forecasts suggested a win of 37 seats – around a quarter of parliament and his largest share ever.
