Ties HUIS IN ‘T VELD

International Secretary of the Dutch Labour Party

Global headlines celebrated a centrist comeback in the Dutch elections – but the far right has not faded, it has just fragmentated. For progressives, there are clear lessons to be drawn: we must stay positive, ideological and unapologetic if we want to outshine the extremes and reclaim the political narrative. 

“Dutch centrist Jetten claims victory in vote where far right lost ground”. The result of the general election in the Netherlands filled headlines all over the world. The general conclusion? Centrist forces emerged victorious; the far-right suffered defeat. Unfortunately, I have bad news for those who hoped that the case of the Netherlands would provide the answer to the surge of the far-right movement. While, indeed, centre party D66 gained seats with a positive and enthusiastic campaign (more about this underneath), the far right in my country is stronger than ever. Not only did it (consisting of the parties PVV, JA21 and FvD) gain one seat compared to the 2023 elections, but right-wing parties such as the BBB (farmers’ party) are on the verge of becoming far-right themselves. I want to take this opportunity to share several lessons that go beyond the initial headlines and are relevant for progressives across the continent. 

Voters are tired of doom and gloom

“Let’s gather the positive forces”. This is the message that D66’s Rob Jetten repeated over and over again during the campaign. Instead of pointing to whatever obstacles are blocking government – and politics in general – from delivering, Jetten promised voters that with enthusiasm and rigour it is indeed possible (“Het kan wel”). While it created high expectations for the years to come, his campaign message was contagious in this day and age. It was so contagious that D66 managed to gain momentum and attract a large number of voters from my party (the GreenLeft-Labour alliance) to D66 in the last days (the “bandwagon effect”). The lessons for the left? Voters are aware of the state the world is in, but are craving for some positivity. 

The far right has become mainstream

I apologise, more doom and gloom incoming. What is clear from the campaign is that narratives and ideas from the far right have now become mainstream in Dutch politics. ‘Remigration’ – a fancy word for deportation – was part of the election manifestos of five parties. It was not even an issue in the media. On top of that, a party that has played the biggest role in Dutch politics over the last two decades and used to be centre-right – the VVD – adopted anti-constitutional ideas. Reacting to critique by experts that many plans of the VVD were a threat to the rule of law, VVD’s leader Dilan Yesilgoz dismissed it as “ridiculous”. The far right has found itself a useful ally. 

There is no such thing as a ‘coalition party’ 

When Geert Wilders was blocked from becoming prime minister after the 2023 elections, leaders in the EU were relieved. What happened instead was that Wilders remained in Parliament and turned into his own government’s biggest critic. How does this work? He claimed the government’s victories and blamed others (there’s always someone to blame) when things did not work out. A similar tactic has been deployed by parties in the centre and the right in recent years. Rather than complaining about it, the progressive left needs to adapt. Whether we like it or not, attention is key in today’s media landscape. Whether in or outside of the coalition, we need to be on the ball, eager for political debate and hungry for change all the time. 

Depoliticise the middle 

In Dutch politics, the pendulum swings from the centre to the fringes: broad centrist coalitions drive disappointed voters toward the fringes, chaotic governance drives disappointed voters back to the centre. With the far right becoming more extreme every year, there is a growing need for this dynamic to stop. For this to happen, centre parties need to have once again a strong ideological debate on issues that matter. Take the housing crisis. Despite this being the number one concern, this issue had little impact on how voters cast their ballots. And they cannot be blamed. Almost all of the party leaders made the identical promise to voters (building 100 thousand houses a year), but none of them succeeded in highlighting their policy differences, such as their approach to the market or the target recipients for the houses. For the political centre to survive, there needs to be a fiercer political debate on the issues that actually matter for voters. 

Let’s stop apologising for who we are 

Despite not having been in government for a very long time, the left (and my party, especially) is blamed for current political failures by right-wing political parties and many of the current right-leaning media outlets. The latest tactic is to frame us as radical. (In fact, it is the reason why the VVD is excluding us from coalition talks). Rather than doing everything we can to prove that we are, in fact, not radical, it is time to embrace this fully. If taxing the rich, building affordable homes, defending democracy and fighting the climate crisis means being radical – then so be it. The stronger the opposition, the harder we must fight. It is time to stand tall and stop apologising for who we are.

Photo credits: Shutterstock.com/Milos Ruzicka