Geert Wilders is a Dutch far-right politician and the founder and leader of the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid – PVV). He was born on 6 September 1963 in Venlo, Netherlands, as the youngest of four siblings. His father was Dutch, while his mother was of Indonesian origin. He completed his secondary education at Mavo and Havo schools and attended high school in Venlo. Wilders later completed his university education at the Open University in the Netherlands. During his youth, he traveled to Israel, where he stayed for approximately two years.

While living in the Dutch city of Utrecht, Wilders worked in the health insurance sector. During this period, he developed an interest in politics and joined the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). Between 1990 and 1998, he served as an assistant to party leader Frits Bolkestein. In these years, he traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, including Iran, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel.

In 1997, Wilders was elected to the Utrecht municipal council as a member of the VVD. The following year, in 1998, he was elected to the Dutch Parliament from the same party. In 2002, he was appointed as the VVD’s spokesperson on public affairs. However, due to his strong anti-Islam positions and his opposition to Turkey’s potential membership in the European Union—positions that conflicted with the party line—he left the VVD. On 3 September 2004, he formed a one-member parliamentary group called Groep Wilders (Wilders Group). On 22 February 2006, he formally established the Party for Freedom (PVV).

Internal party disputes in 2004 played a significant role in shaping Wilders’ political direction. Together with a colleague, Gert-Jan Oplaat, he published a ten-point manifesto intended to provoke internal debate. The proposals in the manifesto reflected a shift toward a more radical right-wing stance. These included the deportation of radical Muslims, life imprisonment for repeat offenders convicted three times, halving development aid, refusing to form coalition governments with left-wing parties, and categorically rejecting Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

Since 1998, Wilders has continuously served as a member of the Dutch Parliament. In the 2006 general elections, his party won nine out of 150 parliamentary seats, becoming the fifth-largest party. In the 2010 general elections, the PVV emerged as the third-largest party with 24 seats. In the 2014 European Parliament elections, the party secured four out of the Netherlands’ 26 seats.

On 31 July 1992, Wilders married Krisztina Marfai, a former diplomat of Hungarian origin.

Wilders is internationally known for his outspoken criticism of Islam. He has repeatedly stated that his opposition is directed toward Islam as an ideology rather than toward Muslims as individuals.

Some of Geert Wilders’ notable statements include:

“I do not hate Muslims; I hate Islam.”

“We oppose the European Union accepting any new members, including Croatia. Above all, we will say no to Turkey’s membership. Turkey may be a neighbor, but it cannot be part of the family. Without the army, Erdoğan’s party would allow Islamists to rule the country. Turkey’s membership would mean letting a Muslim Trojan horse into the EU and becoming neighbors with criminal states such as Syria and Iran.”

“While fighting for the freedom of the Dutch people, I lost my own freedom. I know that for me, a normal life today or tomorrow is no longer possible.”

“One does not need to be Einstein to see the difference when comparing Christianity, Judaism, and humanism with Islamic traditions.”

“We should not be labeled simply because we believe that Islam is a totalitarian and violent ideology. Islam is not so much a religion as it is an ideology, comparable to communism and fascism. Islam threatens our freedom.”

“The anti-Jewish passages in the Quran are more numerous than those in Mein Kampf.”

“The core of the problem is fascist Islam, Allah, and Muhammad’s sick ideology. The source of this ideology is Islam’s ‘Mein Kampf,’ namely the Quran.”

Source: Biyografiler.com