The Thin Line: Democracy, Fascism, and the Silent Majority in The Netherlands

The Thin Line: Democracy, Fascism and the Silent Majority in The Netherlands

✍️ Author’s Note

This piece is written as both a warning and a reflection. It asks how far a democracy can drift before it finds itself in the shadow of authoritarianism. The Dutch political landscape is not unique — across Europe, the rise of populism and the silence of the majority create dangerous vacuums where intolerance and fear can thrive. History teaches us that fascism seldom arrives overnight; it creeps in, disguised as common sense, efficiency, or national pride. This essay is my attempt to remind readers of the fragility of freedom, and the responsibility that silence carries in moments of moral choice.

“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.”
— Robert M. Hutchins

Growing up in the Netherlands, I always viewed the country as a rich and civilized place, characterized by a rational, multicultural, and liberal society with a long history of diversity and tolerance. The Netherlands became a refuge for the persecuted, such as the Huguenots from France and Protestants from England, and a welcoming home for emigrants. It was also known for its stable, consensus-driven coalition governments that respected the constitution.

In my surroundings, Geert Wilders, and his preference for Judeo-Christian traditions, combined with his intolerable Islamophobic and xenophobic views, have long been seen as an abnormality. His nationalist rhetoric calls for closing mosques, banning the Quran, sealing the borders, returning to the Dutch Guilder, and exiting the EU. For over 30 years, Wilders has ridden his populist, extreme-right wave, a loud nuisance to be dismissed. He has become a caricature, with a mind steeped in nationalism, intolerance, and hatred of Muslims. In every election, I saw Wilders as a balloon filled with inferior-quality oxygen, lacking substance, and always deflating before reaching any significant height. I never believed that, given the well-known rationality and pragmatism of this country, Wilders would ever influence its direction.

I was wrong.

This belief held until Dilan Yeşilgöz, the leader of the VVD, normalized the abnormal by not excluding the nationalist and xenophobic PVV from government participation. By doing so, Yeşilgöz dismantled the “cordon sanitaire” around the PVV, a party exhibiting characteristics of fascism. This shift led to the PVV achieving 24% of the vote in the 2023 election, compared to the usual 12-15% when the cordon sanitaire was in place.

Since the recent parliamentary election and the installation of the government under Prime Minister Dick Schoof, I am uncertain if my sense of “rationality” is widely shared, as it seems to have been abandoned. There is an increasing tide of extreme right sentiment, and frankly, I am astonished by the support for Geert Wilders and his movement. One would hope history teaches lessons, yet we see the same destructive patterns emerging again, confirming William Faulkner’s words: “The past is never dead. It is not even past.”

Regrettably, the PVV is not the only far-right party in Europe that has gained ground in recent elections. This trend is further affirmed by the new government in this country, which has been inaugurated today. The new government led by Dick Schoof, a former head of the security services, as Prime Minister, with representatives from Wilders’ extreme right party holding significant power.

As I mentioned before, this alliance between my liberal friends in the VVD and the PVV is a strategic blunder that defies explanation. Collaborating with a party that systematically discriminates based on religion and origin is beyond comprehension. The old guard of traditional liberals has been protesting from the start, and recently, internal opposition has been growing rapidly, which might hopefully lead to an uprising. Henri Kruithof, who has long been the right-hand man of Mark Rutte, has called for the leadership to resign. Whether this will be enough to impact the leadership remains doubtful, as they seem committed to their course.

While I understand the need for pragmatism among my liberal friends, the lower limit was quickly reached with the outline agreement, which has become a farce by accepting these deplorable PVV figures. In the words of a former presidential candidate, it is a “basket of deplorables.”

Let me elaborate: The first candidate from Wilders’ party for refugees and immigration was the disreputable Gidi Markuszower, who was rejected following a security investigation. He has been accused of illegally carrying a weapon and is suspected by Dutch intelligence of having provided information to the Mossad. Wilders himself is known for his hatred of Islam and love for Israel. As parliamentarian Markuszower has come into disrepute by calling for a tribunal to try those responsible for the government’s migration policy, labelling it “a crime against the Dutch people” and criticizing “an open border policy that is destroying the country.”

The alternate candidate for Minister of Refugees and Immigration is Marjolein Faber, who has referred to Islam as a hateful ideology in parliament and used the term “Umvolkung,” a term rooted in Nazi ideology. In the context of Wilders’ PVV and its discriminatory stance towards Moroccans, this term suggests that Western society is being deliberately “upended” by migrants from Islamic cultures. Known for her repopulation theories, Faber has been given a significant platform to implement stricter migration policies and had, until recently, refused to retract the term.

During the recent lower chamber hearing for her appointment as Minister, Faber retracted the term “Umvolkung” and promised to abide by the rule of law declaration drawn up by the four coalition parties, committing not to use the term again. “I realize that the words ‘repopulation’ and ‘repopulation theory’ are incorrect and undesirable, and moreover carry with them a terrible connotation to the past and Nazism,” she stated. As Minister, she promised to only discuss the “troublesome demographic situation in the Netherlands.” This more diplomatic parliamentary phrase, which carries a similar suggestive intent, is essentially putting lipstick on a pig. Similarly, she and her PVV colleagues prefer to retract apologies for the Netherlands’ slavery past, which are recognized as crimes against humanity.

Another concerning figure is the prospective PVV Foreign Trade and Development Minister, Reinette Klever, who sees no reason to distance herself from the term “Umvolkung,” describing it as a “factual description of a demographic development.” Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, appearing on a program of a broadcaster where Klever is a board member, stated, “Our people are being replaced by another people,” and “Along with this exchange of population comes an exchange of civilization. Our way of life will be replaced by the immigrants.”

Then there is the PVV candidate for Minister of Economic Affairs, Dirk Beljaarts. During a lower house hearing, he addressed reports about his role in the bankruptcy of KHN Rekenwerk, a company where he was a director, stating, “It’s generally a storm in a teacup,” and asserting, “I am not to blame.” Rekenwerk was part of the lobbying organization Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN), where Beljaarts was director until recently. Many hospitality entrepreneurs were adversely affected by the bankruptcy, and the receiver is currently still investigating the course of events.

Adding to this group is Fleur Agema, the new Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Schoof. Agema, Wilders’ right-hand person since 2006, is known for her aggressive and often offensive debating style. Her conduct, which includes personal attacks, is unbefitting a government official, yet she is now set to be the Minister of Health, Welfare, and Sports, as well as Deputy Prime Minister.

Last year, after watching some debate clips, she admitted it was “terrible” to see herself in that manner, expressing that it reflected desperation and anger, not her true self.

With this new government, we are entering uncharted territories in the brave new world of Dutch politics, as this coalition enables the forces of the extreme right. This brings to mind the poignant and relevant quote by Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” This concept is particularly important when considering the current political climate and the support for extreme views.

With this coalition government, we in the Netherlands are sacrificing fundamental freedoms for perceived security and diminishing our influence in the European Union. This leads me to conclude that Dick Schoof, despite being a very capable and respected civil servant, is not my Prime Minister, nor is this my government.

William J J Houtzager, Aka WJJH, June 2025

📌Blog Excerpt

Growing up in the Netherlands, I saw a diverse, tolerant society, but the rise of the extreme right, led by Geert Wilders, our peroxide-blond “Netherlands First” politician
has shattered my beliefs. The VVD’s alliance with Wilders’ PVV in the new
government is a strategic mistake. Their candidates’ controversial statements
and actions raise serious concerns. This shift in Dutch politics is alarming.