Dutch authorities say they have confirmed that there are no immediate threats against right-wing politician Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), after Belgian police dismantled a terror plot in Antwerp in which De Wilders and Prime Minister Bart De Wever were reportedly among the intended targets. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) made a statement that they are not investigating any more threats.
Wilders announced on Friday that he was suspending his election campaign “until further notice” due to the possible threat originating from Belgium.
The three men arrested during the anti-terror operation on Thursday, October 9th, had planned to use a homemade explosive device mounted on a drone to attack ‘local politicians.’ Federal police carried out multiple raids in Antwerp and Borsbeek, discovering explosives, a 3D printer, and other equipment allegedly used to build drone components. Investigators believe De Wever was the main target.
Reports later suggested that Geert Wilders’ name, too, may have been mentioned by the extremist cell. Responding to these claims, Wilders said, “It’s now being investigated whether this report is true or not. Until I know, I’m not going anywhere.”
The PVV leader, a longtime critic of Islam who has lived under round-the-clock security for two decades, said that the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) confirmed to him that he had indeed been mentioned in the case.
As a precaution, Wilders withdrew from several scheduled media appearances, including the NOS election debate on NPO Radio 1 and a televised debate.
The recent events have highlighted growing concerns about political violence in the Netherlands and across Europe.
Already after the parliamentary elections in 2023—where the PVV more than doubled its number of seats in parliament, making it the largest party—left-wing extremists threatened violence if Wilders was allowed to form a government.
The country also has a history of downplaying political violence, despite the 2002 assassination of anti-Islam politician Pim Fortuyn by an animal rights activist with ties to Antifa.
In 2024, a Dutch court sentenced a man who attacked Forum for Democracy (FvD) leader Thierry Baudet just two days before the 2023 election to only 18 days in detention and 80 hours of community service. That was the second attack on Baudet; a month earlier, a Ukrainian man broke through the lax security at a speaking event and assaulted Baudet with an umbrella, something the establishment media downplayed and ridiculed.
Nearly all PVV supporters (96%) said they understood Wilders’ decision to pause his campaign, though 60% believe it is important for him to debate other party leaders before the vote.
It remains unclear when Wilders will resume his campaign or participate in upcoming debates. An debate on commercial TV channel SBS is planned for October 23, followed by several debates on public broadcast channel NOS on October 28—the day before the election.
Wilders’ PVV remains the largest party in national polls, while dropping slightly in the past three weeks. Seat projections for Wilders’ former coalition members VVD have fallen to 14 from the current 24, while former EU climate czar Frans Timmermans’ GroenLinks-PvdA is holding steady at 25 seats. Support for the Christian Democrat Alliance (CDA) has soared, possibly as a result of voter disillusionment with other parties along with the implosion of Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC) which, from its current 20 seats in parliament, now isn’t even registering in polls.
