Populist ‘genie’ faces baptism by fire

Millions of Dutch queue up to vote in first test for the far-right in Europe

The Hague, March 15: Millions of Dutch voters went to the polls on Wednesday in a key test of the “patriotic revolution” promised by far-right MP Geert Wilders, as final opinion polls showed his support deflating.

Following last year’s shock Brexit referendum, and Donald Trump’s victory in the US, the Dutch vote is being closely watched to gauge support for populism in Europe ahead of key elections in France and Germany this year.

Mr Wilders voted in a school in The Hague, mobbed by television cameras, just after final polls showed he was trailing the Liberal VVD party of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

“Whatever the outcome of the election today the genie will not go back into the bottle. And this patriotic revolution, whether today or tomorrow, will stay,” Mr Wilders said.

“I think that with what’s happening in America, perhaps in other European countries, that once again the normal people want to be patriotic in their own country that has its own sovereignty again,” he added.

Amid the tussle between Mr Rutte and Mr Wilders, many of the 12.9 million eligible voters were still hesitating between 28 parties in the running.

“This is a crucial election for The Netherlands,” Mr Rutte said as he voted.

“This is a chance for a big democracy like The Netherlands to make a point... to stop this... domino effect of the wrong sort of populism,” he added.

Mr Rutte is bidding for a third term as premier of the country — one of the largest economies in the eurozone and a founding father of the EU.