Explaining the 2023 election results

After our intensive campaign, the results of the Provincial Council elections 2023 were somewhat disappointing for us - we honestly admit that. Based on the exit polls, we see only modest gains for FVD compared to our position now. After all, converted to our current number of seats in the Lower House (5), we did slightly better with (presumably) 3 seats in the Upper House - but not as well as we thought we could conclude from the millions of views and likes on our socials, the thousands of people at our events, the more than 60,000 members.

This does surprise us a little. Perhaps many of our supporters did not turn out to vote. Or maybe there is a much larger contingent of voters who rely on public broadcasting, where we have not been welcome for three years and are systematically demonised (an undemocratic practice we deeply regret).

In any case, congratulations are in order for the obvious winner, the Farmers’ and Citizens’ Movement, BBB. With plenty of support from the press, Caroline van der Plas has the wind in her sails and secured an improbable number of seats.

This is impressive - but also worrying. For her party supports the cartel's line on all the essential points. After all, BBB favours energy transition, it supports the buyout of farmers, it supports the EU, the war in Ukraine and the woke rainbow agreements.

Despite the much-heard interpretation of this election result - that the population has opted for change – it appears that the big winner simply endorses the foundations and underlying assumptions of the current policy.

A truly different policy can therefore never come about - quite apart from the fact that, on balance, even the cartel parties naturally retain a solid number of seats.  VVD, PvdA, GroenLinks, D66, PvdD, CDA have certainly not been wiped out and together they remain as strong as ever in the Senate and the provinces.

If voters had a strong desire for change, it will not come about with this result. In the coming years, we will get more climate policies - more windmills, more solar farms and the cost of living will continue to rise. We are going to see MORE escalation politics towards Russia. More transgender propaganda towards children. The displacement of farmers will continue (perhaps a bit slower, or with a better buy-out, but the direction of the policy remains the same). The hopeless euro project will also continue, pensions will continue to evaporate, the creeping transfer of power to Brussels will continue.

It is incredibly unfortunate that the necessary changes are apparently not taking place more smoothly. Apparently, it all takes much longer. Apparently, the truth needs more time to sink in.

Indeed, it appears that our country needs to be battered even more, and to endure even more, before we can start rebuilding.

So that is how things are.   We are long-termists. We continue with our building project - our app, our community - and we continue to reach out to all Dutch people, all of whom remain welcome to join us to improve our lot together.

We consider ourselves lucky that when all the votes are counted, we will probably be represented in ALL provinces. We go into the Senate with a close and strong team. We express deep and sincere thanks to all our voters, our volunteers, our campaign staff and our members. And we maintain full courage!

See you very soon!

Thierry Baudet