“Volledige stop op ontwikkelingshulp,” reads the manifesto of the Party for Freedom, or PVV, the surprise far-right winners of this week’s Dutch election — or, translated, a “complete stop on development aid.”
The vow lays bare how the bombshell result that has thrust PVV’s notorious anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders to the brink of power in a key European capital has also thrown into jeopardy his country’s status as one the world’s leading donor nations.
In 2022, the Netherlands spent $6.5 billion on official development assistance — 0.67% of its gross national income — putting it in 6th place in the league table of the planet’s most generous countries.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
