The recent surge of the radical right in the Netherlands serves as a stark warning for Europe, cautioned Terry Reintke, leader of the Greens’ EU party,

during a key election debate in the European Parliament. She urged political parties to clearly state their positions on potential collaborations with radical and extreme right parties in Brussels ahead of the European elections in two weeks.

Reintke, a German EU party leader, criticized the ambiguous statements from various parties regarding such alliances, asserting that this ambiguity benefits the extreme right. She highlighted the ease with which right-wing parties in Brussels might gain influence, similar to the PVV in the Netherlands, which is forming a coalition government with VVD, NSC, and BBB.

Walter Baier, leader of the European Left from Austria, also addressed the Netherlands' political situation during the debate, expressing his shock at the developments there. "We must prevent such people from coming to power," Baier declared. He specifically criticized Ursula von der Leyen, leader of the centrist EPP, for her noncommittal stance on cooperating with radical right-wing parties. Von der Leyen had previously stated that any cooperation would "depend on the outcome of the elections."

Baier insisted that any possibility of collaboration with the radical right must be unequivocally ruled out.

The debate saw Reintke and Baier applying pressure not only on Von der Leyen but also on European liberals. The VVD’s involvement in the Dutch Cabinet has caused tensions within the liberal Renew faction. Sandro Gozi, Renew's party leader, announced that a decision regarding VVD’s membership in the party would be made after the elections. Reintke argued this timeline was insufficient, demanding an immediate, clear stance on the consequences of forming coalitions with the far right.

Socialist EU leader Nicolas Schmit echoed the need for clarity, stating his willingness to cooperate with all democratic parties, excluding the European factions of ECR, led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and ID, which includes the PVV. Schmit emphasized that these groups are not considered democratic parties, and he ruled out any cooperation with the extreme right. "Clarity is needed," he asserted, "not vagueness." Photo by European Parliament, Wikimedia commons.