The electoral race is heating up in the Netherlands in the last laps before the October elections.
Rightwing firebrand Geert Wilders took his Party for Freedom (PVV) to a surprise victory in the last Dutch general election that took place on November 22, 2023.
Kingdom politics being what they are, the Dick Schoof cabinet was only sworn in on July 2, 2024 – seven and a half months later.
In the process, Wilders was denied his rightful premiership, and the coalition ended up being short-lived, and dissolved when Wilders withdrew his PVV in June, over the lax immigration policies by Schoof.
Read: Geert Wilders Leaves Coalition Over Differences On Asylum and Migration, and Dutch Government Collapses – PM Dick Schoof to Hand in His Resignation to the King
A snap election was called, and opinion polls again show the PVV in the lead.
The PVV leader has intensified his campaigning, and has shown that he works hard – but plays hard, too.
The Telegraph reported:
“With three months left of the race to run, the shock-haired populist – infamous for policies such as his call to ban the Koran, is unapologetically hooked on his Nintendo Switch.
Known for his fierce rhetoric on X, Mr. Wilders has shown his softer side by sharing how he uses video games to relax after a long day berating his rivals on social media.
‘Ok enough politics for today. Back to Mario’, he posted on July 29, alongside an AI-generated image of himself racing as the eponymous Italian-American plumber.”
Ok enough politics for today.
Back to Mario.#Mario #MarioKartWorld pic.twitter.com/2ENkZBY6aB
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) July 29, 2025
His love for the Japanese console was first reported on the eve of his landslide 2023 victory, when he revealed his passion for Mario Kart, and also said he enjoyed Donald Duck comics.
Read more:
The Netherlands Will Hold Snap Elections in Late October, After Geert Wilders’ PVV Left Coalition Over Immigration Policies
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