The Netherlands fragmented on the EU level

Campaigning has begun in the Netherlands for the EU parliamentary elections in June. Geert Wilders' right-wing populist Party for Freedom (PVV) is in the running alongside a large number of smaller parties. The tabloid De Telegraaf fears the Dutch delegation in the European Parliament may be fragmented: "Although it will only become clear on June 7 how big the damage is, it seems probable that the Dutch delegation in the European Parliament will be fragmented among nine or ten parties. This is regrettable, because a small fraction in Europe ... represents a large handicap in such an enormous political playing field. Parties with one, two or three seats are forced to specialise and leave certain important dossiers entirely untouched. But above all the large number of newcomers bodes ill for a powerful Dutch presence in Brussels. Of course you can also make a virtue of necessity and ride your own European hobbyhorse, an option which the PVV will certainly not neglect."

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