Dutch voters have sent shock waves through Europe at the polls on Wednesday in the wake of Monday's deadly Utrecht terror shooting, in which a now detained 37-year old Turkish man went on a terrifying tram killing spree which left three dead and three injured.
Euroskeptic party, Forum for Democracy (FvD), has emerged victorious in key provincial elections this week, paving the way to making it one of the two largest groups in the Dutch Senate, and representing growing Dutch frustration with the recent unprecedented refugee influx in Europe.
International reports have described the FvD as receiving "a surge of last-minute support" in the days following the Utrecht attack, which investigators have since described as having a "terror motive" based on a letter found in shooter Gokmen Tanis' possession.
Forum for Democracy party leader Thierry Baudet had immediately placed ultimate blame for the incident on the government's “lax immigration policies” and provocatively stated a day before the elections (referencing his political rival)
Baudet, riding a wave of renewed Euroskeptic sentiment, and whose party also wants to see more military spending, green initiatives, and an easing on income tax while greatly restricting the borders, said in the aftermath of Wednesday's vote: “The voters in the Netherlands have spread their wings and shown their true power.”
Referencing the Utrecht attack and other deadly terror incidents on European soil, he added: “We have been called to the front because we have to. Because the country needs us.”
In a post-election speech on Wednesday, Baudet described further that what's now being described in international media as "an upstart populist party [that has] shocked the Dutch political establishment" as punishing the arrogance of elites.
In his pro-Western civilization themed remarks, Baudet added, "We are standing in the rubble of what was once the most beautiful civilization in the world."
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