Party for Freedom

The Netherlands has formed a new government, prompting speculation about potential implications for Bulgaria's status in the Schengen Agreement. Since March 31, Bulgaria has been part of Schengen for air and sea travel, but entry by land requires unanimous approval from EU member states. The timing for such a vote remains uncertain, with hopes it could happen by year-end.

As the European parliamentary elections in June move ever closer, experts warn that pro-Russian players are flooding social media with false claims about the war in Ukraine to boost support for far-right and nationalist parties.

Turkish prosecutors filed an investigation on Feb. 16 into far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders over a social media post seeking to vilify Turkey's president.

Parliament in The Netherlands, one of the most sceptical countries on EU enlargement, on Tuesday supported opening accession talks with North Macedonia but sounded a much more critical tone on Albania.

The Dutch began voting on March 15 in an election seen as a test of anti-establishment and anti-immigrant sentiment in the middle of a fiery dispute with Turkey and at a time of doubts about the future of the European Union.

Amid rising populism, xenophobia, and anti-establishment moods globally, several European countries including the Netherlands, France, Germany, and possibly Italy are preparing for an election cycle that may have significant impact on the future of the EU and indeed Europe.

A Dutch court convicted populist anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders of hate speech Dec. 9 at the end of a trial he branded a politically motivated "charade" that endangered freedom of speech.

Dutch far-right populist lawmaker Geert Wilders is be tried for inciting racial hatred after pledging in March to ensure there were "fewer Moroccans" in the Netherlands, prosecutors said Dec. 18.