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Geert Wilders

Geert Wilders
Wilders in 2015
Leader of the Party for Freedom
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 February 2006
Preceded byPosition established
Leader of the Party for Freedom in the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 November 2006
Preceded byPosition established
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 July 2002
In office
25 August 1998 – 23 May 2002
Personal details
Born (1963-09-06) 6 September 1963 (age 61)
Venlo, Netherlands
Political partyPVV (2006–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Krisztina Márfai
​
(m. 1992)​
ResidenceThe Hague
Alma materOpen University of the Netherlands
Websitegeertwilders.nl
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Geert Wilders (Dutch: [ɣeːrt ˈʋɪldərs]; born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the right-wing to far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) since he founded it in 2006.[1][2] He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives. Wilders is best known for his right-wing populism, anti-immigration, opposition to Islam and Euroscepticism.[3] His views have made him a controversial figure in the Netherlands and abroad. Since 2004, he has been protected at all times by armed police.[4]

Raised a Roman Catholic, Wilders left the church at his coming of age. His travels to Israel and the Arab world as a young adult significantly helped form his political views.[5] Wilders worked as a speechwriter for the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD); he later served as parliamentary assistant to party leader Frits Bolkestein from 1990 to 1998. He was elected to the municipal council of Utrecht in 1997. The following year he was elected to the House of Representatives. Citing irreconcilable differences over the party's position on the accession of Turkey to the European Union, he left the VVD in 2004 to form his own party, the Party for Freedom.

Wilders has campaigned to stop what he views as the "Islamisation of the Netherlands". He has compared the Quran to Mein Kampf and has campaigned to have the book banned in the Netherlands.[6][7] He advocates ending immigration from Muslim countries,[6][8] and banning the construction of new mosques.[9] His controversial 2008 film featuring his views on Islam, Fitna, received international attention and extreme criticism. He has been described in the media as populist[10][11][12] and as a far-right politician.[13][14][15] He was also described by the media as an Islamophobe.[16][17] Wilders rejects being labelled as far-right and views himself as a right-wing liberal, saying he does not want to be "linked with the wrong rightist fascist groups".[18]

On 4 September 2020, the Dutch court convicted Wilders for group insults, following comments he made about Moroccans in the Netherlands.[19][20][21]

  1. ^ Castle, Stephen (5 August 2010). "Dutch Opponent of Muslims Gains Ground". The New York Times. Netherlands. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  2. ^ Mock, Vanessa (11 June 2010). "Wilders makes shock gains in Dutch elections". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  3. ^ Traynor, Ian (17 February 2008). "'I don't hate Muslims. I hate Islam,' says Holland's rising political star". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  4. ^ Wilders kan zich vrijheid nauwelijks herinneren Archived 3 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine NOS, 4 May 2015;
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference visions was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Surge for Dutch anti-Islam Freedom Party Archived 24 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 10 June 2010.
  7. ^ "Nancy Graham Holm: Three Questions to Ask Geert Wilders about Anti-Islam Hate Speech". Huffington Post. USA. 22 April 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  8. ^ Hardy, Roger (28 April 2010). "Dutch Muslim women striving to integrate". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2014. Mr Wilders wants the authorities to halt all immigration from Muslim countries.
  9. ^ Robert Marquand. "Dutch voters boost far-right party of Geert Wilders Archived 3 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine", The Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2010.
  10. ^ West, Ed (30 January 2010). "Geert Wilders is not 'far Right'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  11. ^ "Dutch populist Wilders 'unwelcome' in Eifel town". Thelocal.de. Archived from the original on 31 May 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  12. ^ "Rechtspopulist Wilders in Monschau nicht willkommen". General-anzeiger-bonn.de. 16 March 2010. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  13. ^ Rothwell, James (15 March 2017). "Dutch election: Polls open as far-right candidate Geert Wilders takes on Mark Rutte". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  14. ^ "Geert Wilders, Dutch Far-Right Leader, Is Convicted of Inciting Discrimination". The New York Times. 9 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  15. ^ Gosden, Emily (11 February 2009). "Far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders vows to defy UK ban". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 4 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  16. ^ "How Geert Wilders Became America's Favorite Islamophobe". Foreign Policy. 1 March 2017. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Geert Wilders, the Islamophobe some call the Dutch Donald Trump, explained". Vox. 15 March 2017. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  18. ^ "In quotes: Geert Wilders". BBC. 4 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  19. ^ "Geert Wilders guilty of incitement". POLITICO. 9 December 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  20. ^ "Geert Wilders: Dutch far-right leader cleared of inciting hatred". BBC News. 4 September 2020. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Strafzaak Wilders - Cassatie, Politicus Geert Wilders is nu definitief veroordeeld wegens groepsbelediging".

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