While Europe’s socialist leaders predictably denounced President Trump’s recent temporary ban on new refugees from a list of countries, rising populist leaders praised him as a model for what Europe should be doing.

Dutch populist Geert Wilders said in a tweet: “Well done @POTUS it’s the only way to stay safe + free. I would do the same. Hope you’ll add more Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia soon.”

Wilders, whose Party for Freedom is polling strongly before the country’s March 15 election, later tweeted: “No more immigration from any Islamic country is exactly what we need. Also in The Netherlands. For Islam and freedom are incompatible.”

Wilders also noted what he called the “#hypocrisy” of leftist critics of the ban, noting that in 16 Muslim-dominated countries, a person may not enter the country on an Israeli passport and yet no one on the Left protested.

The president of Italy’s Lombardy Region, Roberto Maroni, simply tweeted a photo of the news of the ban in the Italian press, along with his summation of the situation: “Super Trump,” while calling the U.S. President “Numero Uno” (Number One) in a separate tweet on the same topic.

Matteo Salvini, General Secretary of the Northern League party and a long-time Trump supporter, tweeted in English, citing the President’s move as a good idea for Europe.

What @POTUS is doing on the other side of the ocean, I’d like it done in Italy. An invasion is underway, it needs to be blocked. #Trump — Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) January 29, 2017

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Front Party and current favorite in an upcoming presidential election, said that what really annoys the media and politicians is that Trump honors his campaign promises and implements his program.

“Ce qui gêne les médias et les politiques, c’est que #Trump respecte ses engagements et applique son programme.” #MLPTF1 — Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) January 28, 2017

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Party in Germany, which has been extremely critical of Prime Minister Angela Merkel’s open-door policy toward migration, lauded the measure.

“The apostles of multiculturalism weep bitterly because U.S. President Donald Trump heavily restricts the entry of pseudo-refugees and Muslims into the USA,” they said on their Facebook page.

“For the first time ever one can say from a nationalist perspective: keep going, USA,” the party added.

* The article originally identified Roberto Maroni as leader of the Northern League, an error that has been corrected. Ed.

Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter Follow @twilliamsrome