Could Wilders Win? Dutch Firebrand Would Dump EU, Cut Islamic Immigration

Dutch voters head to the polls Wednesday to select a new prime minister in an election that could send shockwaves across Europe.

If Geert Wilders wins, it will be a nightmare for the European Union, mainly because of his position against Islamic immigration from some countries, and his support for leaving the EU.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his challenger Wilders met Monday night in their only nationally televised face-to-face debate before Wednesday's vote.

There was no love lost between the two, with Wilders calling Rutte untrustworthy and Rutte saying a Wilders government would plunge the Netherlands into chaos.
 
In the wake of Brexit – Britain's vote to leave the European Union – and Donald Trump's victory in the U.S., the Dutch election is being seen as a key indicator of the future of the independence movement in Europe.

In his career, Wilders has gone from the political fringe, into the lead. And his rising support is an indication that a growing number of Dutch voters are unhappy.

Polls indicate Wilders' Party for Freedom has fallen behind in the polls in the days before the election and trails Rutte.
 
The Netherlands has not had Germany's problems with migrants or the economic problems of France, so why has Wilders become so popular?
 
Dutch journalist Chris Aalberts says, "I would say this is about globalization."
 
"The question is, do people really want more refugees here? Do people want more globalization? And what Geert Wilders is saying is, 'We should make our own decisions, period,'" he adds.
 
Wilders supporter Robert Housmans says, "The ideas that Mr. Wilders voices are the concerns and ideas of many people in Holland and also of mine. That's why we support him."
 
Wilders has vowed to take the Netherlands out of the European Union and to close its borders to Muslim migrants from Africa and the Middle East.

Rutte is warning that a "Nexit," – the Netherlands leaving the European Union – would be a mistake.
 
If Wilders does win, it will be a challenge to find other parties willing to join him in forming a new coalition government.