GETTY Geert Wilders is on course to become the next Dutch PM

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Who is Geert Wilders? Geert Wilders is one of the key players in today's Dutch election, and one of the most prominent and controversial populist leaders in Europe. As the founder and leader of Party For Freedom (PVV), Mr Wilders has rallied against the “Islamification” of the Netherlands. Famously, he was banned from entering the UK in 2009 after he released a controversial film linking the Koran to terrorism. The ban was later lifted. In December 2016, Mr Wilders was convicted of inciting discrimination and insulting a group, after he asked a crowd whether they wanted “fewer or more Moroccans in the Netherlands” at a rally in 2014. He was given no sentence for his crime and was acquitted of inciting hate. Mr Wilders has said that he will appeal the verdict, and tweeted shortly after the ruling: “Three PVV hating judges declare that Moroccans are a race and convict me and half of the Netherlands. Madness.”

Previously, he has claimed: “Millions of Dutch citizens – 43% of the population – want fewer Moroccans. “Not because they despise all Moroccans or want all Moroccans out of the country, but because they are sick and tired of the nuisance and terror caused by so many Moroccans. “If speaking about this is punishable, then the Netherlands is no longer a free country but a dictatorship.” His party is on course to win the most seats in the upcoming Dutch parliamentary election. WHEN IS THE DUTCH ELECTION?

Dutch firebrand politician Geert Wilders Wed, February 8, 2017 Known as the 'Dutch Donald Trump' Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 13 Originally from Venlo in the south-eastern Netherlands, Mr Wilders moved to Israel in 1981 after graduating from secondary school.

If elected, Mr Wilders has promised to deliver a total "de-Islamification" of the Netherlands. He has vowed to end immigration from Islamic countries, ban the Koran – which he has called “the Mein Kampf of today”, and close down every mosque in the country. The Euroscpetic politician has also pledged to give the Dutch people a referendum on EU membership. Following the UK’s Brexit victory, Mr Wilders said: “The Dutch population deserves a referendum as well.”

Originally from Venlo in the south-eastern Netherlands, Mr Wilders moved to Israel in 1981 after graduating from secondary school. Over two years he travelled around the Middle East and began to form the anti-Islamic views that have defined his political career. Upon returning to the Netherlands in 1983 he began working in the health insurance industry. He was first voted into public office in 1997 when he was elected to the Utrecht city council as a member of the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). The following year he was elected to national parliament, where he soon became known for his extreme views on Islam. WILL THE NETHERLANDS BE NEXT TO LEAVE THE EU?

GETTY Mr Wilders has vowed to ban the Koran, the burqa and Muslim immigration

In 2004, Mr Wilders left the VVD after the party declared its support for Turkey’s accession to the EU. He founded the PVV two years later, winning nine seats in the 2006 general election. It has since grown to hold 24 seats, making it the third largest force in the house. The controversial MP found himself in trouble in 2008 after he produced a short film called Fitna which mixed passages from the Koran with clips of Islamist terror attacks. As a result of the film he was banned from entering the UK and charged with inciting hatred towards Muslims by a Dutch court. He was cleared of all charges after a lengthy trial and his UK travel ban was withdrawn. In 2010, his name was published on an Al-Qaeda hit list and he has received multiple death threats from Islamist extremists.

GETTY Mr Wilders was banned from the UK after releasing an anti-Islam short film