Nationalism, and the ‘populist revolt’ of 2016, is far from over
Geert Wilders’s victory is another slap-in-the-face moment for the European Union. The complexities of Dutch democracy may mean that he struggles to form a strong government. But his victory, which seemed impossible just a few weeks ago, reminds us that, whether we like it or not, anti-immigration politics is the most potent force in twenty-first century western democracies. It also raises interesting questions about how the Israel-Palestine war may be influencing elections far outside the Holy Land.
