(AFP) – The White House offered tacit support to far-right leader Geert Wilders Wednesday after the fall of the Dutch government, saying that the Netherlands faced “serious threats” from migration. US President Donald Trump backed leaders who “protect their sovereignty and national identity,” a White House official said when asked for the administration’s response to Wilders pulling out of a shaky coalition in a row over immigration policy.
Wilders — who has been dubbed the “Dutch Trump” for his bouffant blond locks and firebrand rhetoric — is known for his anti-Islam, anti-immigrant, and anti-EU message. “The Netherlands, like many countries in Europe, is facing serious threats related to open borders policies and illegal migration. Leaders who fight to put their citizens first and secure their nation’s future should be commended,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
The Trump administration has led an immigration crackdown at home and has pushed European countries to follow its lead. US Vice President JD Vance, for example, voiced support for the far-right ultra-nationalist German AfD party. “President Trump’s message to our allies has been clear on this topic,” the White House official added. “European leaders should work to protect their sovereignty and national identity by prioritizing strong borders and tackling illegal migration — just as we are here in the United States.”
Trump is set to visit the Netherlands, which is now in political crisis mode, later this month for a NATO summit. Wilders’s far-right Freedom Party (PVV) won a shock victory in Dutch elections in 2023, but his partners in the shaky four-party coalition government that emerged blocked him from becoming prime minister.
On Tuesday, Wilders pulled out of the coalition after complaining that it was too slow to push through a strict new immigration policy — meaning new elections are likely, which would give him another shot at the top job. The Dutch politician has toned down some of his rhetoric but remains a controversial figure. From calling Moroccans “scum” to holding competitions for cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Wilders has built a career from his self-appointed mission to stop an “Islamic invasion” of Western Europe.
© 2024 AFP
