Portuguese living in the Netherlands are apprehensive about the upcoming elections

  • ECO News
  • 15 March 2017

They cannot vote and, therefore, are mere spectators. This Wednesday's elections will affect the almost 17 thousand Portuguese living in the Netherlands, who are either curious or apprehensive.

Miguel Nunes, Rui Catalão and Joana Branco – Portuguese citizens living in the Netherlands.

“First, the Moroccan, then the Turkish, then the Polish, and when there is no one left…”, suggests Álvaro Faustino. The Portuguese who has lived in the Netherlands for over a decade follows apprehensively the election campaign in the country and, especially, the rise of right-wing extremism. He is one of the almost 17 thousand citizens born in Portugal who feels silenced, since they cannot vote, due to the fact they are Portuguese citizens: “We are here, we work here, we pay our taxes here and the bottom line is, we do not have a voice”.

Álvaro Faustion manages a blog and a Facebook page called ‘Portuguese in the Netherlands’ (Portugueses na Holanda) which helps thousands of emigrants and their families, and through that digital community he is able to understand what many emigrants in the country worry about. Because they cannot vote, they follow the elections “more out of curiosity”, states to ECO the construction worker. “Since the far-right Party has been rising here in the Netherlands, there is a part of the community that is nervous, fearful, which is how I feel”.

Miguel Nunes, who has lived in Rotterdam for four months, also worries about the right-wing extremist discourse in the country. “What worries me the most is the kind of discourse and political agenda of the far-right Party, filled with racism and ignorance; as for key points, such as health, labor, economy or science, they give no contribution to the political discussion”; Nunes also believes the major issue is the creation of the Government, namely a possible coalition.

Álvaro Faustino clarifies: “There were no direct threats made to the Portuguese community”, but he is afraid the community will not escape Geert Wilders and his far-Right Party for Freedom (PVV), if it continues to rise. On the other hand, Joana Branco, who has been living in Utrecht for about a year, has a positive idea of the Dutch she has contacted with: “My perception is that the Dutch are tolerant people, who do not support the same ideals as those who want to send immigrants back to their country or to leave the European Union”, she tells ECO. And statistics back up that perception: the majority of Dutch want to remain in the EU, and Geert Wilders’ Party is the only one intending to exit.

Alike Joana Branco, Rui Catalão, marketing and communications manager who has been living in Amsterdam for over three years, states he is not “very apprehensive for the moment”. Nonetheless, he points to a growing “tension” in the country: “From what I have discussed with the Dutch, I understand they worry about national security issues”.

We are here, we work here, we pay our taxes here and the bottom line is, we do not have a voice.

Álvaro Faustino

Portuguese citizen in the Netherlands

“Yet, even if foreigners could vote, that would not mean these kind of parties would not rise in polls, since there are foreigners supporting them; many Portuguese supported PVV because of what happened”, states Álvaro Faustino, referring to this weekend’s protests in Rotterdam due to the growing diplomatic crises between the Netherlands and Turkey. That crises should influence elections, but Faustino is certain about one thing: “The campaign has been very tense, even among the Dutch, because they are also divided when it comes to the type of Government they want to have in the future”.