Last time I discussed the standing of alt-right political parties in western Europe, the Dutch elections were underway. Three weeks later, both the Netherlands and fellow European nations have been feeling the effects of the election.
The Netherlands
With an 80.5% turn-out of eligible voters, the VVD, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, won with 33 seats. In second came the PVV, the populist anti-immigration party with 20 seats. The 20 seats might come across as a victory but it must be noted that there are 97 more seats shared between 11 parties. This comes up to a total of 150 seats in the House of Representatives with 13 parties in total. This means that no single party gets to rule the government and subsequently, the significance of the über-conservatives dramatically diminishes because it must rely on coalitions and cooperation with other parties which proves to be quite a difficult feat so far. Meanwhile, a coalition of four parties: the VVD ( center-right conservative), the CDA (center/center-left conservative), the D66 (center-left liberal), GL (left-wing) is in talks of taking place. This means a joint 82 seats working together and accruing the house majority.
Though it’s too soon to speak, this could very well be a sign of loss for the PVV.
France
The PVV’s sizable second place win served as a source of empowerment for their French equivalent, Marine Le Pen’s National Front party, just in time for Le Grand Debat (The Great Debate) On April 4th, just ahead of the presidential primaries. But no amount of empowerment saved her from leftist, Philippe Poutou. A candidate I failed to mention last time, Philippe Poutou is a factory worker who made headlines for calling out far right party leader Le Pen and conservative party leader Fillon for being under investigation. The leftist is a refreshingly stark contrast from Le Pen, who is expected to leave the presidential elections in second place and has virtually no chance of winning. Nevertheless, his boldness could eschew excitement from the anti-Islam nationalists ahead of the primaries.
It seems like the far-right and its dramatic rise to prominence is not just a temporary fad, but instead is a fixture of a new face of politics. Whether people turn to these parties in the future or even disavow them in favor of more moderate ideologies, these parties are guaranteed elected political power for the time-being. This, of course, is a reflection of the anti-immigrant mentality that has surged through the western world as a result of the several human rights crises, leaving many displaced and destitute.
