Spiegel Online: Dutch Election Slows Europe’s Populists

Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his center-right political party, the VVD, won the Dutch general election. Rutte has held the position since 2010, but faced a strong challenge from the far-right populist Geert Wilders. Wilders’ calls for nationalist policies and a “Nexit” from the European Union were at odds with the Netherlands’ global position as a leading exporter, Claus Hecking posits for Spiegel Online. VVD’s success does not bode well for other anti-immigration populists across Europe like Marine Le Pen, presidential candidate in France. Still, this election’s results do not represent a surge of Dutch support for the EU. Despite Brussels’ role as the de facto capital of the EU, “many citizens see few uses for the EU beyond free trade.” – YaleGlobal