Geert Wilders Warns Europe May Need U.S. to Defend Free Speech Again

The Dutch politician says the EU is trying to censor political speech and interfere in elections across the continent.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, argues that the European Union is aggressively using its Digital Services Act to pressure tech companies to remove social media content that the EU considers 'disinformation,' which often means posts critical of the European establishment. Wilders says this amounts to censorship of free speech and political interference in elections across Europe, including in his own country. He calls on the United States to step in and defend European freedom of speech, just as it did during World War II.

Why it matters

Wilders' claims, if true, would represent a serious threat to democracy and free expression in Europe. The alleged EU interference in elections and censorship of political speech could undermine the legitimacy of the European political system and erode public trust. This could have far-reaching consequences for the future of the EU and its relations with the United States.

The details

According to Wilders, the European Parliament this week debated 'state violence in Minneapolis and the rule of law in the United States' rather than the findings of a recent U.S. House Judiciary Committee report accusing the EU of trying to censor speech critical of the European establishment. The report claims the EU has interfered in parliamentary and presidential elections in at least eight European countries, including twice in the Netherlands, since the EU's Digital Services Act took effect in 2023. Wilders says the EU is threatening tech companies with huge fines if they don't comply with its censorship demands, and that this amounts to an 'unelected body of bureaucrats' in Brussels promoting a narrative opposed to the views of European voters.

  • The U.S. House Judiciary Committee published its report on Europe's campaign to censor speech last week.
  • The European Parliament debated 'state violence in Minneapolis and the rule of law in the United States' this week, rather than the House Committee's findings.

The players

Geert Wilders

Leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), who was the most popular politician in the Netherlands' 2025 general elections.

Ursula von der Leyen

President of the European Commission, which Wilders accuses of interfering in European elections.

JD Vance

U.S. Vice President, who Wilders says criticized European political elites for not liking 'the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, win an election.'

The European Commission

The unelected executive body of the European Union, which Wilders accuses of censoring political speech and interfering in elections across Europe.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee

A committee of the U.S. House of Representatives that published a report accusing the EU of trying to censor speech critical of the European establishment.

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What they’re saying

“The European Union is criticizing the rule of law in America, while there are indications that Ursula von der Leyen's European Commission has in the past two years actively tried to interfere in eight parliamentary and presidential elections on the European continent, including twice in my own country, The Netherlands.”

— Geert Wilders, Leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) (Breitbart)

“Europe's political elites 'simply don't like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, win an election.'”

— JD Vance, U.S. Vice President (Breitbart)

What’s next

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee's report on the EU's alleged election interference and censorship efforts is expected to be a major topic of debate in the coming weeks, as European leaders and lawmakers respond to the accusations.

The takeaway

Wilders' claims, if substantiated, would represent a serious threat to democracy and free expression in Europe. The alleged EU interference in elections and censorship of political speech could undermine the legitimacy of the European political system and erode public trust, with far-reaching consequences for the future of the EU and its relations with the United States.