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Wilders Halts Campaign Event After Reports He Was Target in Foiled Antwerp Plot

Belgian prosecutors describe a jihadist-inspired plan to attack politicians using an explosive-laden drone.

Dutch politician Geert Wilders and leader of Party for Freedom speaks during the Danish People's Party annual meeting in Tinghallen, Viborg, Denmark, Saturday, September 27, 2025. The 30th anniversary of the Danish People's Party is celebrated during the annual meeting.  Ritzau Scanpix/Mikkel Berg Pedersen/via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • Belgian police raided homes in Antwerp on Thursday, seizing a homemade but inoperative explosive, a bag of steel balls and a 3D printer linked to a suspected drone plan.
  • Prosecutors say the suspects intended a jihadist-inspired attack on politicians, with two men aged 23 and 18 due before a judge after a third detainee was released.
  • Flemish broadcasters VTM and VRT reported, citing sources, that Geert Wilders appeared on a target list, while the threat to Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever was considered more serious.
  • Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said prosecutors informed him of a list containing a few people that included foreign politicians, without confirming any names.
  • Wilders canceled a planned NOS campaign debate and said he would not travel until the reports are verified, as the Dutch counterterror agency declined to comment.