Joost Klein’s song is heavy on references to his love of Europe, featuring lyrics including “Europe, let’s come together” or “Welcome to Europe, [I] stay until I die.” Phrases in German and Italian are sprinkled throughout the song, and there are shoutouts to traditional European dishes such as escargot, paella, and fish and chips.
The song, only released last Thursday, has already racked up more than 6 million views on YouTube and another 5 million plays on Spotify. It has also surged to become one of the bookmakers’ favorites for May’s Eurovision competition in Malmö, Sweden.
Timmermans’ joint Socialist-Green ticket was the runner-up in last year’s Dutch elections, trailing behind the Euroskeptic Party For Freedom (PVV) of Geert Wilders. There’s still no breakthrough in talks to form a new Dutch government.
Wilders hasn’t yet commented on whether “Europapa” is on his personal Spotify playlist.
