Prime Minister Mark Rutte and lawmaker Geert Wilders cast Wednesday's Dutch parliamentary elections as a litmus test for populism in Europe, ahead of crucial votes in France and Germany.
Coming after last's year British vote to leave the European Union and the election of U.S. President Donald Trump two stunning successes for populists.
"This is a chance for a big democracy like the Netherlands to make a point to stop this toppling over of the domino stones. Rutte said after his vote.
Wilders insisted that whatever the result of Wednesday's election, the kind of populist politics he and others in Europe represent will be here to stay. "The genie will not go back into the bottle. People feel misrepresented," he said, predicting this would show in elections later this year in France and Germany too.
Wilders' one-page election manifesto includes pledges to close borders to immigrants, safety and security of the citizens, as well as taking the Netherlands out of the European Union.
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