Geert Wilders much to everyones disdain strikes again: Preliminary results in Dutch local polls suggest an anti-Islam party has made major gains and may pose a serious challenge in June parliamentary polls. Last year, the PVV came second in the country's polls to the EU parliament. The PVV fielded candidates in municipal elections in two cities: Almere, a city of some 200,000 inhabitants east of the capital Amsterdam, where its looks set to be the biggest party, and The Hague, where it was in second place. Preliminary results show that in Almere, it has won 21% of the vote, while in The Hague, it has won eight seats, behind the Dutch Labour Party which had 10 seats. "What is possible in The Hague and Almere is possible all over the country. It's a springboard for our victory," Mr Wilders told supporters in Almere. Last year, the PVV came second in European elections in the Netherlands, winning 15% of the vote. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8548847.stm The anti-immigration Dutch Freedom Party MEPs will be headed by Barry Madlener and Mr Wilders will remain an MP in The Hague, Radio Netherlands reports. What is striking is that most of the Dutch say they dislike him or they think he needs to realistically reform some of his policies but yet still it doesn't account for the polls. Who thinks the party can win a majority in June? I think that labour now has a better chance since they have decided to pull troops from Afghanistan.
See Enmos? I told ya so. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I think there is a very strong possibility that they will win, and that this will have an incendiary effect on similar trends in the rest of Europe.
I don't think they will, possible but things have changed now that labour has changed its war abroad platform and if it moves to change immigration policy they can win, they don't just have the PPV to worry about but also the socialist party that also has a broad anti immigration policy without it being mainly about muslims. "The Socialist Party of the Netherlands has profited from its opposition to immigration and the free movement of labour. Part of its popularity with the voters lies in one particular policy which differentiates it from British or other European parties of the left: they oppose large scale immigration. The SP see the 'free movement of labour' as part of the neoliberal globalist package - something which benefits big business but not ordinary people. Their opposition to immigration is not based on racism - as tends to be the case with the BNP and other far-right parties in Europe - but on their socialist ideology." ttp://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/45957,news-comment,news-politics,dutch-socialists-champion-the-left-wing-case-against-immigration Wilders has never earned huge popularity in opinion polls.
Except we aren't talking about "Hitler". One historical event does not presage an eternity of the exact same event under similar circumstances. ~String
Its an example of polls and popularity having nothing to do with political power. Public sentiment does. Which is easily manipulated [see Swiss ban on minarets] If Wilders does not come to power this time, he will the next time around. He is a reflection of public sentiment in the Netherlands, not a cause of them
I agree that he does cover an issue that has been ignored which is immigration and the lack of integration of muslims but I still believe that if a party that has a more considered platform were to tackle those issues they would surpass the PVV.
Huh? I told you so! The only hope now is that the other parties will keep their word and refuse to form a government with them.
He did what? :bugeye: What did he do? Are you suggesting that the majority of Dutch people support Wilders? What are you saying he did?Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
The opinion polls predicted the outcome accurately. Edit: Not the majority, but a whole lot of people. He could easily end up being the largest party come June.
Ok so you think he will win. Do you think the PVV would be as attractive if other parties re-framed their positions to include immigration? Like the socialist party for example. What if labour re-framed their agenda?
I think he has a (very) good chance. They already have, to some extent. But they will never go as far as Wilders. And rightly so.
What makes you think the Dutch want to go as far as Wilders? They just want an aim towards immigrant integration and also a cap on immigration.
I read it but I don't think the average person in the netherlands frames things in the same way that Wilders does, what I do believe is that Wilders boldly addresses concerns that the Dutch do have hence I ask if they would vote specifically for him if other parties also addressed their concerns. PPV platform: In February 2007, PVV parliamentarian Fritsma introduced a motion that would have prohibited any parliamentarian or executive branch politician from having dual citizenship. The PVV claims that it is unclear where someone's loyalty lies when one has two nationalities; the motion would have made it difficult if not impossible for Labour MPs Ahmed Aboutaleb and Nebahat Albayrak to become members of the new government. The party fielded a controversial motion in the 2007 algemene beschouwingen of the immigration budget, that called for a stop to immigration from Muslim countries. The House of Representatives at first would not move to bring the motion up for discussion. Justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin said the motion was in violation of the Dutch constitution and international law. Another motion by the PVV, that found it undesirable for police agents to wear veils, did find a parliamentary majority. Wilders has also put forth the idea that the Netherlands should open up its own "Guantanamo Bay" that would detain people which the intelligence service sees as a security threat, somewhat akin to the Israeli and Algerian administrative detention. Surely there are other issues other than muslim immigrants? Meaning that if parties that also properly address immigration AND say the economy etc. then they would boost their chances. Mind you I have nothing against their aversion to dual citizenship in their politicians and government officials.
There is a real problem regarding immigrants, but not to the extent that Wilders puts it. However, a lot of people here think he has the right idea.. so you were wrong about that one. Other parties are also addressing the immigrant problem and have been for years. A lot of people just want drastic measures, and Wilders is providing them.
What is so drastic about not allowing dual citizenship and stopping further immigration of muslims? If you have a problem with immigration and integration waiting longer will only exacerbate the issue. There are already Dutch muslim converts and those born in the country so its not as if Holland will run out of them or anything.
You think that's all Wilders wants? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! And stopping immigration is fine, but only stopping Muslims from emigrating here is just wrong. It's called discrimination.
Why? The Dutch that I know, they're generally not anti-immigration. Most speak at least 4-6 languages and seem pretty happy to be "mulitcultureal"? Do the Dutch have "China Towns" and are they populated with "Chinese"? What about Sushi? Is it big in Amsterdam? How about Indian food? Are there's Greek Towns or Little Italy's? Just out of curiosity.
