(10/28/09) -

Dutch Drive Right-Wing Party into First Place

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The controversial Party for Freedom (PvdV) is now the most popular party in the Netherlands, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. A prospective tally of seats shows that the extreme right-wing party would get 29 mandates in the legislature in the next election, up two since late September.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The controversial Party for Freedom (PvdV) is now the most popular party in the Netherlands, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. A prospective tally of seats shows that the extreme right-wing party would get 29 mandates in the legislature in the next election, up two since late September.

The Democrats 66 (D66) are second with 26 seats, followed by the governing Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA) with 25, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) with 16, the Socialist Party (SP) with 15, the Labour Party (PvdA) with 14, and the Green Left (GL) with 13 seats. Support is lower for the Christian Union (CU), the Party for the Animals (PvdD), the Reformed Political Party (SGP), and Proud of the Netherlands (ToN).

Dutch voters renewed the Second Chamber in November 2006. The CDA—led by current minister president Jan Peter Balkenende—secured 41 out of 150 seats. In February 2007, a coalition encompassing the CDA, the PvdA of Wouter Bos, and the CU of Andre Rouvouet was assembled.

The PvdV has recently gained notoriety due to Geert Wilders, its controversial leader. Last year, Wilders released a movie titled Fitna depicting Islam as a violent religion, and comparing the Koran to Adolf Hitler’s "Mein Kampf". In January 2009, an Amsterdam court ordered prosecutors to call Wilders to trial for inciting hatred. Wilders has called the decision an "attack on public debate."

Last June, the PvdV won four of the 25 Dutch seats in the European Parliament.

Earlier this year, Wilders was banned from entering Britain, where he was supposed to screen his film in the House of Lords. A judge had ruled that Wilders’s presence in the country would put national security at risk.

In early October, Wilders won an appeal against the ruling that banned him from visiting Britain. On Oct. 16, the politician arrived in Britain, where he declared: "Being here is a victory. Not a victory for myself but for the freedom of speech. It is ridiculous that the UK government thought my presence would in any way lead to violence. I have nothing to do with violence, I am no extremist; I am a politician who is democratically elected."

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next parliamentary election?
(Results presented in seats)

Source: Maurice de Hond
Methodology: Interviews with 1,000 Dutch adults, conducted on Oct. 17, 2009. No margin of error was provided.