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Wilders party drops 'Nexit' pledge in EU election manifesto

by AFP Staff Writers The Hague (AFP) April 5, 2024 AFP
Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders appears to have dropped demands for a referendum on a "Nexit" -- the Netherlands leaving the European Union -- according to his party's manifesto for upcoming European Parliament elections published Friday.

The Freedom Party (PVV) led by Wilders won a stunning victory in Dutch national elections in November and polls indicate will likely top the June 6-9 European vote in the Netherlands.

While the manifesto for the November election stated clearly: "the PVV wants a binding referendum on Nexit", such a pledge was absent from the European manifesto.

Wilders initially struggled to persuade other parties to join him in a coalition -- mainly because of his anti-Islam and anti-EU views, including the Nexit pledge.

But his pledge not to seek to be prime minister unlocked talks between his PVV and three other centre-right parties that are ongoing -- and likely to last several more months.

Friday's European manifesto was still fiercely eurosceptic, stressing: "No European superstate for us... we will work hard to change the Union from within."

"Cooperating with other countries is fine, but while keeping our national sovereignty and identity," said the programme.

The PVV called for an end to the "expansion of unelected eurocrats in Brussels" and took aim at a "veritable tsunami" of EU environmental regulations.

"It's up to us to decide whether we eat meat, take a plane, or drive a petrol car. Not Brussels," says the manifesto.

The PVV failed to win a single seat in 2019 European Parliament elections but surveys show they are likely to win most seats in the 2024 vote.

The party is part of the Identity and Democracy grouping, which also has France's National Rally and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as members.

Far-right parties are seen making significant gains in the European Parliament elections.

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