THE GUARDIAN: Anti-Islam politician's party could take six seats in European parliament
Geert Wilders, Holland's anti-immigrant, Muslim-baiting maverick, appeared to be heading for a triumph in his first European election tonight, with polls and surveys indicating that he could win the ballot in the Netherlands.
The Dutch, as well as the British, kicked off four days of elections to the European parliament across the EU's 27 countries. Wilders cast an optimistic vote in The Hague and declared that Turkey could not join the EU "in a million years".
A detailed poll-tracking survey, predict09.eu, run by political scientists at the London School of Economics and Trinity College Dublin, indicated that Wilder's Freedom party could take 21% of the vote and six of the Netherlands' 25 seats in Brussels and Strasbourg, ahead of the traditionally governing parties, the Christian Democrats and the Labour party, which are currently in coalition.
Some Dutch opinion surveys supported the poll trackers, or put Wilders neck and neck with the Christian democrats of the prime minister, Jan-Peter Balkenende. A mock election among 15,000 pupils in 140 schools in the Netherlands this week also gave Wilders more than 19% support, ahead of all other parties.
Wilders wants the European parliament abolished, and Bulgaria and Romania kicked out of the EU. The virulence of his anti-Islam and anti-immigrant activities saw him barred from entering Britain this year and the Dutch authorities are prosecuting him for discrimination.
The poll trackers predicted six seats for Wilders, compared with a projection of three a month ago. Opinion poll support for the tall, bleach-haired populist has doubled this year, while his video film Fitna stirred outrage with its graphic depiction of Islam as synonymous with violence and terrorism.
Whether or not he wins, Wilders appeared certain to perform extremely well, highlighting the wave of euroscepticism engulfing the traditionally pro-EU country and union founding member. >>> Ian Traynor in Brussels | Thursday, June 04, 2009
