Financial Times FT.com

European elections 2009

Dutch shift to right unsettles mainstream parties

By Michael Steen in Amsterdam

Published: June 5 2009 18:27 | Last updated: June 5 2009 18:27

The decision by every seventh Dutch voter to support the party of Geert Wilders, the anti-immigration politician, in the European parliament elections is likely to drag domestic politics to the right and unsettle mainstream parties in other European Union states.

Unofficial results from Thursday’s poll show Mr Wilders’ Party for Freedom, or PVV, will become the second-biggest Dutch party in the parliament with four of the country’s 25 seats.

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