According to a recent opinion poll, if parliamentary elections were held today, the Freedom Party (PVV) headed by right-wing populist leader Geert Wilders would become the largest party in the Netherlands.
It would win 27 seats in the 150-seat parliament, as opposed to the nine it currently has. The Christian Democrats - the largest party in the governing coalition - would win only 26 seats.
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Geert Wilders obscuring Rita Verdonk (December 2006)
Pim Fortuyn (2006)
Geert Wilders interviewed on CNN (February 2009)
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It is not the first time for a populist opposition group to score high in opinion polls, although it is rare for them to come out as potentially the biggest parliamentary party.
In October 2007 a survey carried out like this week's one by pollster Maurice de Hond, predicted 27 for another right-wing populist group, Rita Verdonk's Proud of the Netherlands party. Such a result would have made hers the second largest party in parliament.
Ms Verdonk currently has one seat in parliament - her own - into which she was elected when still a member of the conservative liberal party VVD. Mr Wilders, too, is a VVD renegade.
Pim Fortuyn
A couple of years earlier, Pim Fortuyn's LPF party scored 28 seats in a poll immediately after his assassination in May 2002. In the general elections of that month, the LPF gained 26 seats, which secured its participation in a short-lived coalition government.
In subsequent elections Pim Fortuyn's heirs eventually lost all of their seats and the party was disbanded.
Anti-Koran film
Mr Wilders' popularity has been rising ever since an Amsterdam appeals court decided to try him for anti-Muslim comments six weeks ago. He has since received even more exposure following Great Britain's refusal of permission to enter the country.
Mr Wilders had been invited to Britain to show his anti-Koran film Fitna to members of the House of Lords. Although he landed at London's Heathrow Airport, he was denied permission to enter the country and forced to return to the Netherlands.
Last week, Mr Wilders was in the US at the invitation of Republican Senator Jon Kyl to show his movie on Capitol Hill and discuss his anti-Islamic policies with Senators and Representatives. In the end, few Congress members found time to talk with the PVV leader. His visit took place on the very day that President Barack Obama held his first policy speech to Congress.
Tags:
Dutch society,
freedom of speech,
Geert Wilders,
Islam,
religion
Fritz,
15-03-2009
- Sweden
In his movie Fitna Wilders merely quotes the Quran, and shows the message of hate spread by the Islamists. It is up to the viewer to draw conclusions.
Wilders is doing a great job calling attention to the threat from Islam to the west. The appeasers should do well to remember that you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
James,
06-03-2009
- United States
As an American that comes from Irish heritage, I am stunned by the comparison between Irish immigrants in the 19th century to the current muslim immigrants. First and foremost, the immigrants that came from Europe where willing to adapt and accept the culture of the United States. They learned the language and became the BEST citizens of the union.
Secondly, I lived in Holland 6 years ago and all that I saw was a growing epidemic that is destroying Western Culture. Muslims are responsible for over 70% of the crime committed globally and that is consistent in Europe.
Please Harry, don't through the hard working Irish, Italians, Polish, Dutch, British, French, and other European immigrants that came to the U.S. under the bus by comparing them to muslims.
Lucy,
04-03-2009
- Australia
Islam is a direct threat to all the freedoms we take for granted in the western world. It isn't simply a religion. It's a [disqualifying adjectives deleted] political movement. Mr Wilders should be applauded for speaking out against this [derogatory noun deleted].
Moderator's response:
Dear Lucy,
Thank you for your response. Please try and avoid strong language next time.
David Berridge,
03-03-2009
- Canada
Where does one start with this mess?!! First, Wilders is peaking with just about two years to go to the next election. This is too long to hold such a position and momentum, claiming a potential victory of just 18 per cent of the seats in the Dutch Lower House(27 of 150). To radically transform Dutch society back to the "Good Old Days" with a magic wand and no clear political platform is hardly realistic. As for Rita Verdonk, I would hate to even try to envision her with "balls"!! On the issue of terrorism, yes, cells do exist just about everywhere, and attacks have occured. That is why there are security services throughout the world, working around the clock with limited finite resources to try to prevent even more tragedies from occuring. The main strategy is to isolate terrorists from the mainstream of the populace, not have the general populace turned to anger in supporting the terrorists as Wilders is only bound to accomplish! Thomas, what fool of an immigration officer let you into the US in the first place?! You have a complete disregard of the basic core American values that all men are created equal with inaleignable rights in a society with liberty, freedom, and justice for all! In fact you sound as if you are a "terrorist" in desiring to cause major social disruption in deligitimizing the American Constitution! The same department of the US government which allowed Muslims into the country (the INS), also let you in! That is a significant thought in itself! What I'm reading in this Forum at times is more than depressing for the overly simplistic analysis that is meant to pass for considered thought.
George Kay,
03-03-2009
- U.S.A.
Since a politician never believes what he says, he is surprised when others believe him. Politics are usually the executive expression of human immaturity.
Wilders is no exception in the history of mankind.
Steve,
03-03-2009
- USA
Leigh, you must have forgotten about the Paris riots (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4405620.stm). Or the fact that Dutch authors have been killed for being critical of a certain religion. Two of the world's tallest buildings no longer stand in New York. Madrid and London have both been scarred by people claiming religious oppression against Islam. The Marriott in Islamabad. The luxury hotels in Mumbai. Just recently the group of young French students in Cairo. Not all followers are extremists, but to say there are no extremist cells that must be dealt with in France, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, The UK, and The US, et. al., is very naive and will only lead to more deaths. I do not agree with Geert's philosophy on banning books, but we need to start cracking down on cells of hate that have been able to plan attacks against the West with impunity in our own backyards.
sandra,
03-03-2009
- Nederlands
Harry, are you nuts? Fear mongering? WILDERS TELLS THE TRUTH!
Harry,
03-03-2009
- USA
It's sad to see so much support for someone who gets attention through fear-mongering and dehumanizing 'the other'.
As for comments about European cities turning into Islamo-fascist hell-holes, I wonder if those commenters have spent time actually living in cities like Malmö. There is no fascist Islamic takeover going on, just a lot of immigration, with slow integration. The USA went through the same thing when it got heavy immigration from countries like Ireland and Italy. The new immigrants were discriminated against for being Catholic and for being 'foreign', but look now, the Italians and Irish have blended in and it's almost ridiculous to claim that there is discrimination against Irish in the USA. Integration just takes some time. People who let Geert Wilders tickle their fear receptors simply don't know history. And they probably don't realize that they're fear is being used to promote fascist laws themselves. It's the same thing as the Patriot Act being passed in the US after 9/11: the terrorists wanted to destabilize Western values and they sure succeeded in that, with the help of voters so afraid that they think fascism is the only way to protect themselves.
If Malmö today is an 'Islamo-fascist' hell-hole, then I'd much rather live in an Islamo-fascist hell-hole than a Geert Wilders' run 'heaven of white judaeo-christian purity'. Geert Wilders is a whiny baby, that's all.
If you really want stability in the world you have to focus on sustainable economic development so that people will have less reason to migrate in search of a better life. As Geert Wilders doesn't realize that, his party has no real solution to the immigration and integration issue.
sandra,
03-03-2009
- Nederlands
Here is a news article and video of Geert Wilders in USA. To refute RNW news article that says that not many republicans showed up, or noticed Geert Wilders. It shows that RNW is not being Open and honest with news reporting. There were over five hundred republicans at the CPAC convention, and much support for Geert Wilders film Fitna. http://europenews.dk/en/node/20549
George Kay,
03-03-2009
- U.S.A.
Heil Wilders! I hope the silly cock will, soon, stop crowing on his stinking dunghill.
I already knew that the Dutch are, intrinsically, very conservative and not as tolerant as they claim to be.
Jason,
02-03-2009
- Canada
Geert WIlders for Prime Minister.. that would be great!
He speaks the truth. He is a hero, and should be treated as such. If I could vote for him I would.
Good for the Dutch.
Leigh,
02-03-2009
- France
He's just another blow hard racist using shock-jock tactics of blaming immigrants. Like Lepen in France, Hanson in Australia and Limbaugh in the USA, he sells an easy message that problems are created by others, not the majority citizenry of the Netherlands. The real test is if he has any other ideas other than brown skinned people are the problem. I think the Dutch voters will see through his paucity of ideas.
Brian,
02-03-2009
- Australia
This poll gives Mr Wilders enough political capital to make to Government gravitate to toward his policies. Mr Wilders should call for a massive inquiry into the workings of the Dutch immigration department. Is this departmrnt working in Holland's best interests or Islam's best interests? In other words, are there impostors influencing the department & working within? Shouldn't the department have a charter to protect Holland's status as a Western country with a Western Constitution? (By the way, RNW titled Pim Fortuyn's photo as being made in 2006, four years after his tragic death.)
Oliver John,
02-03-2009
-
Who cares!!! Politics is for the masses. The Netherlands lurches from one wave of populism to another every now and then. When would people realize that they alone are the solutions to their problems and not politicians? Politicians—the world over—are only interested in your vote. They want power and Mr Wilders is just one of them. Poor voters.
All through history, people have looked to others for salvation. But salvation only comes from within yourself and your heart. That a paid politician would spend his time promoting an anti-Islamic film is mind-boggling enough. In most countries of the world, Mr Wilders would have been fired by his constituency for his childish behavior.
Thomas,
02-03-2009
- USA
Beluga Whaleström, Sweden:
You always can emigrate to Iran, N. Korea and other less "scary" places where your sympathies lie.
Not every country wants to turn their cities into a Malmö type Islamist hellhole.
Hard to belive - isn't it?
