Rise of far-right in Netherlands a warning for the rest of Europe, says EU politician

What happened in the Netherlands with the rise of the radical right could happen throughout Europe, the Greens’ EU party leader warned during a major election debate in the European Palriament. She believes parties must now, two weeks before the European elections, clearly indicate whether they plan to collaborate with radical right or extreme right parties in Brussels.

According to German EU party leader Terry Reintke, the vague talk from various parties about such possible collaborations plays into the hands of the extreme right. It makes it seem as if the right-wing parties in Brussels will be able to participate just as easily as the PVV in the Netherlands, which is forming a Cabinet with VVD, NSC, and BBB.

Another EU party leader also commented on the political situation in the Netherlands during the debate. Austrian Walter Baier, leader of the European Left, said that he was “shocked at what he heard from the Netherlands.” According to Baier, “We must prevent such people from coming to power.”

He accused Ursula von der Leyen, leader of the centrist EPP, of not wanting to give a definitive answer about possible cooperation with radical right-wing parties. In an earlier debate, Von der Leyen said that, as far as she is concerned, it “depends on the outcome of the elections” whether she would work with them. Baier said that any suggestion of cooperation with the radical right must be ruled out.

During the debate, the two EU party leaders thus put pressure not only on Von der Leyen but also on European liberals. Ever since the negotiations for a new Cabinet in the Netherlands, there have been tensions in the liberal Renew faction about the VVD’s membership.

Prior to the European election debate, party leader Sandro Gozo reiterated that Renew would decide on whether the VVD could remain a member of the party while working with the PVV the day after the elections. That is too late, Reintke said. “Give a clear signal now and make it clear that there are consequences for entering into coalitions with the far right,” she told Gozi.

Socialist EU leader Nicolas Schmit is “willing to cooperate with all democratic parties,” he said. But he does not consider the European factions of ECR of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and ID, to which the PVV belongs, “as democratic parties. As far as Schmit is concerned, there will be no cooperation with the extreme right. “Clarity is needed” about this, “not vagueness.”