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Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician who has been accused of inciting hatred against Muslims, scored major gains in local authority polls on Thursday, making him a serious challenger for power in a June national election, preliminary results showed.
In the first test of public opinion since the collapse of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's coalition government last month, Wilders's Freedom Party (PVV) led in the city of Almere and was second in The Hague.
The results came on top of an opinion poll showing that the PVV, which campaigns against Muslim immigration as its main platform, would win the most seats -- 27 in the 150-member Dutch parliament -- in the June 9 election.
That would make it tough for Balkenende's Christian Democrats, projected to win one seat less, to forge a strong coalition without Wilders.
"Hatred trial"
The popularity of Wilders, has dented the image of the Netherlands as a country that has often portrayed itself in the past as a bastion of tolerance.
The PVV has been pitching its policies to a nation of 16 million that is turning increasingly inward as the economy struggles and social tensions rise. There are nearly 1 million Muslims in the Netherlands.
"The leftist elite still believes in multi-culturalism, coddling criminals, a European super-state and high taxes," Wilders told cheering supporters at a rally in Almere after polling ended on Wednesday.
Andre Krouwel, professor of political science at Vrije University in Amsterdam, said: "You can see there's a lot of discontent in the electorate. Clearly Wilders is going to use these results as a stepping stone for national elections."
In Almere, the PVV won 21 percent of the vote to Labour's 18 percent, the preliminary results showed. In The Hague, the PVV had 8 seats -- second to Labour with 10 seats. Experts put turnout in the local elections at 56 percent.
Wilders has already created a stir by saying he wants to ban the wearing of Muslim headscarves in city council buildings, although observers doubt such a plan would be legal.
Wilders already is facing trial in a Dutch court for inciting hatred. Last year he was banned from Britain and turned away at Heathrow.
Afghan invasion issue
Labour, led by former Deputy Prime Minister Wouter Bos, appeared to have benefited from its opposition over Afghanistan invasion.
"The Labour Party is back," Bos told supporters. "We were declared dead and buried, but with our struggle, humility and ideals we have come back."
Balkenende, now heading a caretaker government, saw his coalition collapse on Feb. 20.
His centre-right Christian Democrats and Labour Party partners differed over mandate of troops in Afghanistan invasion.
He has said the nearly 2,000 Dutch troops serving with NATO in Afghanistan were now likely to withdraw this year as planned.
The collapse was the fourth for a cabinet led by Balkenende in eight years.
PHOTO CAPTION
A crowd of protesters gather behind police barriers to voice support for right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders outside the court in Amsterdam, where Wilders appeared to be charged with inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims, January 20, 2010.
Agencies
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