German leaders want Dutch to reject Geert Wilders

Both German president Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet Chief Peter Altmaier hope that Geert Wilders and his PVV will not come out on top in the Dutch parliamentary election tomorrow. According to Altmaier, it will be better for the Netherlands if the PVV is not in its government, BNR reports.

Altmaier is a confidant of Merkel and coordinator of the German refugee policy. He was also recently knighted in the Netherlands for his services to the Dutch-German relations. According to BNR, when Altmaier speaks, it can be considered to be on behalf of the German government.

The German politician is not impressed by the PVV. "I am very pleased that the PVV clearly dropped in the polls in recent weeks", he said, according to the broadcaster. "I hope that the new formation [of parliament] happens successfully without the PVV."

Altmaier calls Wilders a populist who plays on fears, including the fear of globalization. The PVV leader comes with fake solutions that the people want to hear and rubs against right-wing extremism, he said. He is very concerned about developments in the Netherlands.

Gauck called Dutch nationalism "poisonous and an infection".