The Normalization of the Far Right: Urgent Action Required by Mainstream Parties

Geert Wilders' far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) has topped the polls in the Netherlands' recent election, winning 37 out of 150 seats in parliament. This marks the normalisation of far-right politics in Europe, as mainstream parties compete by adopting similar anti-immigration and populist messages. The centre-right VVD party's willingness to potentially form a coalition with the PVV and their focus on immigration in their campaign contributed to Wilders' success. Mainstream parties must resist the far right's anti-liberal framing and uphold liberal democratic norms.