Groups of Muslims, Moroccans and climate activists worried about PVV victory

Islamic and Moroccan organizations in the Netherlands expressed serious concern about the PVV's apparent election win on Wednesday night. "The distress and fear are very great," Habib el Kaddouri of the Dutch-Moroccan association SMN told ANP. Climate organizations also expressed shock and dismay by the initial exit poll results that projected the far-right party would become the largest in the Tweede Kamer with 35 of the 150 seats in the lower house of Parliament.

Muhsin Köktas said he wonders whether Muslims still have a future in the Netherlands. "Everyone is talking about social security, but I don't know if we still have it." His CMO organization lobbies the government on behalf of Muslim people.

El Kaddouri said that the "distress, but also the fear, is very great" among Dutch-Moroccan people. "Wilders is known for his ideas about Muslims and Moroccans. We are afraid that he will portray us as second-class citizens."

Köktas shares that fear. "I don't know whether Muslims are still safe in the Netherlands. I worry about this country."

Both emphasized that they respect the result, but said they hope that other parties will not want to cooperate with the PVV. "But in any case, a very difficult period begins for Muslims," ​​said Köktas. “The people have spoken.”

Mustafa Ayranci of the Turkish workers' association HTIB said he was "disappointed" with the results. "But the Dutch people have made a statement. We must respect that." Should Wilders be able to form a coalition and lead the Cabinet, Ayranci said he hopes Wilders keeps his promise to be prime minister for all Dutch people. "That he will not only become the prime minister of Jan and Piet, but also of Mustafa and Ahmed."

Climate organizations gloomy after PVV win

The PVV's win also does not bode well for climate issue, climate activist organization Milieudefensie said in an initial response to the exit polls. The youth activist group Jonge Klimaatbeweging also said it sees a bleak future now that the PVV appears to be the big election night winner. Extinction Rebellion said it was "shocked."

The movement, which claims to represent the voice of young people in the climate debate. "A party that talks about pointless climate hobbies and wants to immediately throw all climate measures into the shredder has no business being in the Torentje," Extinction Rebellion said, using "Torentje" to refer to the building where the prime minister's office is located. A first Wilders Cabinet "means four years of climate denial, exclusion and erosion of the rule of law."

It is "more important than ever" that Milieudefensie continues "the fight against large polluting companies and for a fair climate policy," said Donald Pols, the director of Milieudefensie. "There is a lot of support for this within society, as proven by the 85,000 attendees at the March for Climate and Justice."

“This outcome will likely mean a rollback of climate measures, new fossil fuel investments, exclusion of marginalized groups, and more. The future of everything and everyone is at stake. So we will continue to take action,” said Extinction Rebellion.