Alkmaar and Dijk en Waard, two neighboring municipalities in the Dutch province of North Holland where the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) won some of its strongest results in 2023, several Dutch Moroccans say their votes for Geert Wilders stemmed not from ideology but from frustration just ahead of general elections. «We're Moroccan, but we also voted for Wilders», Josef, a local resident told a Dutch regional daily newspaper Noordhollands Dagblad, hurrying to the doctor with his wife. «It's about healthcare and wages. Wilders talks about Islam to get votes, in practice, it won't be that bad». In these working-class districts, where insecurity and housing shortages weigh heavily, some Moroccan-origin voters say they've lost faith in all political parties, the newspaper adds. «I'm disappointed in everything», Josef admits. Others, like Zahra, who runs a small tailor shop, see the growing polarization as a symptom of something deeper. «A customer told me, 'I hate foreigners.' I told her, 'Why do you hate me? I don't hate you.' It should be about who you are inside, not how you look». Some Moroccan families even went on to say that their votes were «a message, not an endorsement». Wilders, notorious for his anti-Islam and anti-immigration rhetoric, remains a deeply divisive figure among the Moroccan-Dutch community, especially after his infamous 2014 remark that «The Hague should have fewer problems, and if possible, fewer Moroccans». Early general elections in the Netherlands are scheduled for 29 October 2025. A campaign has been launched by a Dutch organization representing the interests of the Moroccan community in the Netherlands, ahead of elections, to encourage more Moroccan Dutch citizens to vote. Article modified on : 28/10/2025 15h21
