Geert Wilders – the Next Dutch PM?

The Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) led by Geert Wilders is leading both of the nation's major opinion polls. While the party currently holds only nine seats of the 150 seats in the Dutch Lower House Parliament, both the Synovate Political Barometer and pollster Maurice de Hond say the party stands to be the largest in Parliament following the next national elections.

A Synovate poll released Wednesday shows PVV in a tight race with the Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA), which currently holds 41 seats. If elections were held this week, both parties would win 32 seats, Synovate pollsters found.

Maurice de Hond's polls show PVV winning roughly 32 seats as well. A third poll, the TNS NIPO, shows PVV winning 28 seats to 24 for the CDA. If PVV were to win the plurality of Parliament seats, Wilders would be called to assemble the Netherlands' next ruling coalition.

Wilders is known worldwide for his views on Islam. He created the short movie Fitna, which links Koranic verses to modern terrorism, and has called the Koran “fascist” and Islam a “totalitarian ideology.” He suggests that the right to religious freedom should not apply to Islam, and he has called for his country to ban the building of new mosques (...)