European Parliament elections kick off in Netherlands

By Stefan J. Bos

The Netherlands was the first European Union nation to open four days of voting in which nearly 400 million people from beyond the Arctic Circle to the edges of Africa and Asia can cast ballots for the 720-seat  European Parliament.

Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who heads the Anti-Islam Freedom Party or PVV, was among those voting in the Dutch city of The Hague,  surrounded by security guards.

Wilders' PVV party recently became the most prominent political force in the Netherlands, and he hopes like-minded parties will take the EU parliament by storm. "We just made a coalition agreement in the Netherlands that concludes one of the most strict policies on asylum seekers ever in the Netherlands. And of course, part of it is, if you want to change asylum policy, you also have the influence of the European Union with all the guidelines that are binding," he told reporters.

"And if you want to change that, you also need a strong presence in the European Parliament and make sure that, if necessary, we will be able to change the European guidelines in order to be in charge of our own immigration policy and asylum policy," Wilders added after casting his ballot, most likely for his own party.            
 
Far-right and more moderate right-wing parties are expected to do well at a time of mounting concerns over migration after millions arrived in the EU in recent years from mainly Islamic nations as well as war-torn Ukraine.

The vote lasts through Sunday and will impact anything from migration, Russia's war against Ukraine, and defense to relations with Israel, global climate policies, and geopolitical ties with China and the United States.

Europe's parliamentary elections had little importance for the longest time, with critics saying the legislature looked like a retirement home for elderly national politicians and an incubator for young talent.

Powers extended

European Parliamentarians had little power and couldn't even decide to gather permanently, causing a multi-billion euro moving circus between Brussels, Belgium, and Strasbourg, France.  

As core members France and Germany set much of the policy for the ever-increasing group, the well-paid politicians had little say in European affairs.

However, as the legislature's powers grew on issues like banking rules, agriculture, and the EU budget, so did voting interest and the quality of legislators.

While breaking a 50 percent voter turnout threshold was considered a significant step in 2019, an EU Parliament survey claims that 71 percent could vote in the upcoming elections, including in the Netherlands, which is seen as another massive leap forward.

One of the first tasks will be to elect a new European Commission, the EU's executive, led by Ursula von der Leyen. She seeks a second term but faces tough competition.