Geert Wilders Faces Uphill Battle in Dutch Elections

Thu Oct 30 2025 19:37:32 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

With a tight race ahead of the Dutch elections, Geert Wilders' anti-Islam party is struggling to maintain support amid a backdrop of rising living costs and housing shortages.

In the upcoming Dutch elections, anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders finds himself in a challenging position as opinion polls indicate dwindling support for his Freedom Party. Despite previously winning the last election, Wilders faces formidable competition from rivals who now refuse coalition agreements following his controversial decision to dissolve the last government. Key issues like the housing crisis and the rising cost of living dominate voters’ concerns, leaving the future of Wilders' political aspirations highly uncertain.

Geert Wilders' anti-Islam Freedom party is facing a tight race in Wednesday's Dutch election, and even if he wins the vote, his hopes of forming a new government appear minimal.

Wilders was the clear winner the last time Dutch voters went to the polls in November 2023, but final opinion polls hours before the vote suggest a fall in his support.

Dutch voters are grappling with a series of crises, from a chronic housing shortage to overcrowded asylum centres, alongside rising living costs including sky-high rents and healthcare fees.

Unlike last time, Wilders' rivals are refusing to work with him after he brought down his own coalition government last June.

Voting at most of the country's more than 10,000 polling stations starts at 07:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Wednesday and ends at 21:00 (20:00 GMT).

Commentators believe it is more important who comes second in the vote rather than first, as it could influence who will form the next government.

If Wilders’ party comes on top, the next Dutch government is more likely to emerge from the center-left or center-right spectrum, with more than a third of Dutch voters being undecided before the election.

A significant portion of Dutch voters prioritizes the housing crisis, with shortages impacting almost 400,000 homes in a population of 18 million, bringing attention to the issue in TV debates.

While Wilders blames migration for the crisis, others point to a rise in single-person households and bureaucratic delays in planning.

Polls suggest Wilders will be competing closely with four significant parties; his own PVV, GreenLeft-Labour led by Frans Timmermans, liberals D66 under Rob Jetten, and the Christian Democrats led by Henri Bontenbal.

Political analysts believe that coalition-building could take weeks or months, predicting a return to more traditional politics as Dutch voters signal a fatigue with populism.