On Wednesday Dutch people go to the ballot box … again! This will be the ninth election for the Tweede Kamer (second chamber), the Dutch parliament’s legislative chamber, in this still young century. In some ways the Netherlands has become the Italy of the 21st century, plagued by political fragmentation, governmental instability, and radicalisation (accompanied, increasingly often, by violence).

This election is a direct result of this fragmentation and instability. The far-right Freedom Party (PVV) led by Geert Wilders dominated the last ruling coalition, but still pulled the plug in July, after less than a year. The various lessons that the Dutch media, political parties, and voters have drawn from this tumultuous experience should be relevant beyond the Netherlands, given that most European countries are struggling with a similar challenge: how to deal with the increasing electoral, ideological and political success of the far right.

Like everyone else, the Dutch media was taken by surprise that Wilders let “his government” fall and have tried to make sense of it. Compared to 2002, when an even more chaotic coalition fell after just 12 weeks, there is a lot less debate about whether the far right should have a role in Dutch politics – almost as if it has become impossible to imagine a Dutch future without it.

This is not surprising, as most Dutch media remain a (largely voluntary) hostage of the far right. The man himself barely graces the media with appearances or interviews, yet Wilders has been the most discussed politician on Dutch television. And in his........

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