The liberal elite’s decision to prosecute Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders for hate speech spectacularly backfired today as his anti-immigrant party soared to a commanding lead in the polls.
Voters have rallied to the Freedom Party (PVV) after its controversial chief was convicted for saying there were “too many Moroccans” in the Netherlands in a case critics had feared would only boost his popularity.
His party has opened up a daunting nine point gap on its rivals, putting it on track to scoop 36 out of the Dutch parliament’s 150 seats in next Spring’s elections.
The bombshell poll, released by the Maurice de Hond Institute yesterday, is the first indication of how voters will react to the controversial decision to prosecute Mr Wilders under discrimination laws.
And it will send shockwaves through Brussels, which is already reeling from the loss of europhile Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi and which is facing a year of crunch elections which could finish the bloc for good.
On Friday Mr Wilders was found guilty of insulting a specific group of people and inciting discrimination, but was cleared of the more serious crime of hate speech, with three judges deciding not to impose any punishment.
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