"Monster victory" and "overwhelming" winner: newspapers say about PVV

The Dutch newspapers call the PVV’s victory in the Tweede Kamer elections a “monster victory.” Many morning newspapers are very surprised by Wilders’ party becoming so large - 37 seats in the latest forecast - and leaving all other parties far behind.

Trouw speaks of a political landslide and calls the PVV “the overwhelming winner of the elections.” According to the newspaper, it is a scenario that no one took into account, “not even the winner himself.” The Netherlands is thus joining a European right-wing populist trend.” The voter has erased and redrawn the political lines in the Netherlands.”

NRC sees the Rutte era ending with “a right-wing populist revolt that will shake the Binnenhof to its foundations.” According to the newspaper, the PVV’s victory “exceeds all expectations.” And this victory makes it unthinkable that Geert Wilders’ party “will not get the chance to at least try to form a right-wing coalition.” NRC attributes the party’s great success to Wilders’ strong TV performances in the campaign's final phase and his willingness to shelve his anti-Islam proposals.

The Netherlands turns right, is the Telegraaf’s headline. The newspaper concludes that the voter has saddled the Netherlands with a brainteaser of unprecedented proportions. The desire among other parties to join forces with the PVV is not the same everywhere. “The formation promises to be another monster job.” Pieter Omtzigt’s NSC getting approximately 20 seats makes the party large enough “to function as a key party in the formation,” according to the Telegraaf.

The Financieele Dagblad speaks of a spectacular win for Wilders, who “turns politics in The Hague upside down.” The VVD is forecast to lose ten seats, dropping to 24. The FD says that this result is “especially a big defeat for the new leader, Dilan Yesilgöz,” and points out that her predecessor, Mark Rutte, never got fewer than 31 seats.

According to the AD, no one can ignore the PVV after a “crushing victory.” The newspaper believes Wilders’ victory is not an isolated event and points out that anti-migration parties are on the rise in many European countries. “The voter has given up on the policies of recent years.”

The Nederlands Dagblad writes that “politicians in The Hague are in shock” about the monster victory of the one-man movement. De Volkskrant notes that with the victory of PVV and Omtzigt’s NSC, there is a right-wing majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament and that the formation of a right-wing coalition is looming.

Foreign newspapers

The provisional results of the Dutch elections are also attracting a lot of attention abroad. The media in neighboring countries mainly emphasize the victory of Geert Wilders’ PVV.

The British broadcaster BBC writes that the “anti-Islam populist” Geert Wilders wins a “dramatic victory.” The Guardian notes that it is still uncertain whether Wilders will receive sufficient support from other parties to form a coalition.

Belgian media are making a big deal about the elections in the Netherlands. Broadcaster VRT calls Wilders’ “radical right-wing PVV” the “big winner” and also published a profile on the PVV leader. “As quickly as parties are set up in the Netherlands, they often disappear from the radar just as quickly,” according to the VRT. “Not the PVV: the radical right party now has a strong foothold among our northern neighbors.”

Het Laatste Nieuws in Belgium kept a live blog on the elections. “PVV ‘overwhelms’ with 37 seats,” the newspaper concludes. It also talks about a “historic victory” by Geert Wilders.

German media are also following the elections in neighboring Netherlands. The popular newspaper Bild writes that Wilders “triumphs” and speaks of a move to the right for the Netherlands. The newspaper Rheinische Post calls Wilders the big winner of the elections and says that coalition negotiations could become challenging. The newspaper writes that the Netherlands reacted with shock to the result.

The financial news agency Bloomberg speaks of a surprising result that will be felt throughout Europe. Wilders and his “anti-EU-party” suddenly caught up in the final days of the campaign, according to Bloomberg. It concludes that in recent Dutch history, it’s only happened once that the leader of the largest party has not become Prime Minister.

The German DPA reports that Dutch Muslims are concerned after Wilders’ victory. They fear they are entering a period of uncertainty, the news agency writes. The AFP news agency from France speaks of a political landslide and states that Wilders’ victory will also lead to nervousness among the EU in Brussels.