Dutch far-right Geert Wilders suspends campaigning after report of Belgian terror cell threat

Published connected 11/10/2025 - 8:50 GMT+2 •Updated 8:51

Geert Wilders, the Dutch person of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) said helium is suspending campaigning activities for the upcoming nationalist election, pursuing reports that helium was a imaginable people of a suspected crippled successful Belgium to termination politicians.

Three young men were arrested successful Belgium connected Thursday aft investigators discovered a homemade explosive which the suspects were reportedly readying to connect to a drone to transportation retired the attack.

Prosecutors said the constabulary raids were portion of an probe into “attempted violent execution and information successful the activities of a violent group.” They didn't place the politicians who mightiness person been targeted, but Belgian authorities ministers identified Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever arsenic 1 target.

Wilders had cancelled an quality astatine an predetermination statement with different governmental leaders pursuing the reports. Later, helium posted connected X that the Dutch National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism and Safety (NCTV) confirmed to him helium was 1 of the targets of the suspected plot.

He said authorities bash not "expect a residual threat, but I person a atrocious feeling astir this and americium truthful suspending each my run activities for the clip being."

An aboriginal wide predetermination is acceptable to instrumentality spot successful the Netherlands connected 29 October, and Wilders' PVV Party is presently starring successful polls.

The predetermination was called aft Wilders pulled retired of the ruling four-party conjugation successful a quality astir a crackdown connected migration.

He is known arsenic a crisp professional of Islam and was convicted successful tribunal of radical defamation aft helium led anti-Moroccan chants during a run rally successful 2014. Another condemnation of inciting hatred an favoritism was aboriginal overturned by an appeals court.

Dutch Justice Minister Foort van Oosten said connected X helium had requested that the NCTV "do everything indispensable to alteration Mr. Wilders to resume his enactment arsenic soon arsenic helium wishes." He added that helium would "never judge that politicians can't bash their enactment due to the fact that of threats."

Dutch nationalist broadcaster NOS, which hosted Friday's debate, said they had invited Wilders to enactment implicit a telephone call, but helium refused.

Leader of the right-wing People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Dilan Yeşilgöz said she is prepared to determination an upcoming statement connected Sunday to a concealed determination to let Wilders to participate.