‘Wilders Will Have To Curb His Instincts’

NEW DELHI: Hours after leading his Party for Freedom to victory in the general elections, anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders called for significant restrictions on asylum and immigration. But as JS Mukul, India’s former ambassador to The Hague told Stratnewsglobal, the realities of the election result call for pragmatism on the part of Wilders. Speaking on The Gist, Mukul pointed out that Wilders lacks the numbers to form a government on his own, with 37 seats he needs other parties to pitch in with 40-odd seats. Wilders has also acknowledged he may have to temper his anti-Islam utterances if he is to build a coalition. But there seems little doubt migration has become a hot button issue for the electorate. Wilders party has always figured second or third in recent elections but his victory this time suggests a growing consensus among voters that immigration must be curbed. Tune in for more in this conversation with JS Mukul, India’s former ambassador to The Netherlands.