How the far right is moving into Europe’s mainstream
Growing support for radical parties, often on anti-immigration platforms, does not necessarily threaten democracy, but it could profoundly change the EU.
Success has been a long time coming for Geert Wilders. I met the Dutch politician in 2004 as he prepared to launch his own political party. Wilders’ denunciations of Islam and immigrants had already made him a target, and he was getting used to a life living in safe houses and surrounded by bodyguards. “I feel like I’m trapped in a B movie,” he told me.
Now, almost two decades later, Wilders has moved from being a bit player to the role of leading man. His Freedom party topped the polls in last week’s Dutch elections. Wilders will still struggle to form a coalition government and to become prime minister. But he has made an unprecedented breakthrough.
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Financial Times
Gideon Rachman is chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times. His particular interests include American foreign policy, the European Union and globalisation.
