With most of the votes counted in Wednesday’s provincial elections, Thierry Baudet’s right-wing nationalist and climate sceptical Forum voor Democratie (FvD) appears to have won most votes, is the biggest Dutch party and will take 13 seats in the senate in May.
Forum, which is pro Nexit and does not believe in climate change, campaigned on national issues and did not draw up policies for any of the 12 provinces it will now be represented in.
‘Arrogance and stupidity has been punished,’ Baudet said in his victory speech. ‘We are being ruined by the people who should be protecting us,’ he said.
‘We are being undermined by universities and journalists, by the people who design our buildings.’
The four coalition parties will now control 31 of the 75 seats in the senate and will need the support of a fifth party to pass controversial legislation. Forum, Labour and Groenlinks, which almost doubled its support, could all fulfill that role.
Big losers of the night were Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration PVV which is on target to lose four of its nine senate seats, and the Socialists which will sink from nine to four.
Read more at DutchNews.nl