Dutch Election: Far-Right Makes Gains

[Armenum]

I find it interesting Wilders' party made gains in this last election. I don't understand why Balkenende finds this "terrible" and "ashamed", this is democracy at work and your desired party won't always win.

Local election results from the Netherlands are sending shockwaves through the country after the far-right PVV party of Geert Wilders made strong gains.

Wilder’s anti-Islamic party gained a town of 150,000, Almere, and came second in The Hague, at the expense of the two big traditional parties of government.

“I’m a happy man. We have a mandate to govern here in Almere, and that’s what we’ll try to do, here and in The Hague. I guess my colleagues will start tomorrow,” said Wilders.

Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s Christian Democrats remain the largest party, but for how long? Some worry Wilders could take top spot in June’s general election.

“All that Wilders and his people come up with is headscarf bans. What are we talking about? I find it so terrible, and I’m ashamed.”

“We don’t know this party at all. He talks a lot, but you know nothing. I want to see results, then you can judge, not before,” were just two voters’ opinions.

With the mainstream left and right parties floundering other fringe groups like the Greens and far-left did well too, but Wilders PVV may now command a quarter of the electorate, which could be a political game-changer in three months time.

http://www.euronews.net/2010/03/04/f...e-netherlands/

[Fingon NL]

Not really all that surprised, but this percentage of voters as much as he'll ever get, he didn't even become the biggest party in The Hague.
I'm espexially happy with the huge wins for D'66 and the moderate wins for GroenLinks, the parties I identify with most.

How I would love to have Femke Halsema as Prime minister

[Gromovnik]

Maybe they should count the votes again.

[Koelkastmagneet]

I find it interesting Wilders' party made gains in this last election. I don't understand why Balkenende finds this "terrible" and "ashamed", this is democracy at work and your desired party won't always win.



http://www.euronews.net/2010/03/04/f...e-netherlands/

I too find this terrible and am ashamed that our country has such a big amount of idiots voting for Blondie here.

Not really all that surprised, but this percentage of voters as much as he'll ever get, he didn't even become the biggest party in The Hague.
I'm espexially happy with the huge wins for D'66 and the moderate wins for GroenLinks, the parties I identify with most.

How I would love to have Femke Halsema as Prime minister

So you're a hippy and Europhile?

I'm just happy the VVD made some gains.

[Dr. Croccer]

I too find this terrible and am ashamed that our country has such a big amount of idiots voting for Blondie here.

This.

I'm just happy the VVD made some gains.

The VVD made no gains. By Second Chamber standards they would've had 21 seats, one less than they have now. Rutte might be talking but he was kindly notified that he was wrong on RTLnews.

[Mangerman]

This.

The VVD made no gains. By Second Chamber standards they would've had 21 seats, one less than they have now. Rutte might be talking but he was kindly notified that he was wrong on RTLnews.

The VVD made no gains? Are you telling me they didn't get ~205 more seats on local councils?

@Frankie,
The turnout was 59% in Almere, 9% more than the last election in 2010, which is probably thanks to the PVV. All the dissatisfied people who didn't vote before came out of their houses to vote for PVV, a good outlet for their dissatisfaction.

[Frankie88]

The lowest turnout in years less then half the voters turned out in The Hague and little over half in Almere.

PVV The Hague: 8 out 45 seats.
PVV Almere: 9 out of 39 seats.

Like the article says this sends real shockwaves through the country. I am running for the hills... oh wait we don't have any ing hills back to :wub: I guess.

[Treize]

And those are the only two cities that they had candidates for...
Still scary though for 9 june.

[Tirus]

He's angry and ashamed of both himself, Bos, and the fact that a right wing racist like Wilders manages to get all the votes he wanted.
Anyway, D66 and Groenlinks did great (Utrecht will finally be GREEN) and it's also good the VVD did not win much power within the communities.

[athanaric]

Zomg, teh ebil rasist has teh most votez. Let's whine everybody about our social democrat hard work not being respected by the "stupid" people.


Is there any actual argument in favour of identifying the PVV and Wilders as "far right"? Like, have they proposed an invasion of Germany, or a plan to eliminate a part of the Dutch population? Just askin'...

[Dr. Croccer]

Is there any actual argument in favour of identifying the PVV and Wilders as "far right"? Like, have they proposed an invasion of Germany, or a plan to eliminate a part of the Dutch population? Just askin'...

They're xenophobic, nationalist and authoritarian, the hall marks of the Far Right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_right

Left-and right politics are silly and vary anyway. By Dutch standards he is Far Right.

thought he was against Afghanistan-War and to keep the entry age for Pension at 65.....which are both left positions.

Read above. Left-right politics are stupid and depend on the country, and often even on one's opinions. By Dutch standards the policies above are mainstream, Conservative even, one could say.

The VVD made no gains? Are you telling me they didn't get ~205 more seats on local councils?

By Landelijke polls, no. They remained pretty much stagnant.

[Phier]

Left-and right politics are silly and vary anyway. By Dutch standards he is Far Right.

By Dutch standards Obama is center right so I dont' think that says all that much

[Dr. Croccer]

By Dutch standards Obama is center right so I dont' think that says all that much

Correction, By civilised standards Obama is center right.

[Gauvin]

They're xenophobic, nationalist and authoritarian, the hall marks of the Far Right.

And pro-Israel, and capitalist, other hallmarks of the far-right... the only thing that makes Wilders party nationalist is its anti-immigration policies, it does not advocate the nationalization of Dutch industry, or resources. It is not the BNP, in other words. It advocates free markets, and liberalism, the opposite of authoritarianism, and the far-right.

[Dr. Croccer]

And pro-Israel, and capitalist, other hallmarks of the far-right... the only thing that makes Wilders party nationalist is its anti-immigration policies

He's opposed to the notion of having alot of nationalities within the country; wants discriminatory measures for non-westerners; dislikes the notion of ''blackification'' of society; wants to replace the constitutional right that guranatees equality before the law with an affirment of the superiority of Western culture; he's opposed to the notion that a Moroccan is mayor of Rotterdam etc, etc

Sounds pretty nationalist to me.

it does not advocate the nationalization of Dutch industry, or resources.

Nationalization and nationalism are two very different things Gauvin.

It advocates free markets, and liberalism,

No it doesn't. It doesn't advocate any large changes in economic policy at all. If anything, they're incredibly statist. They advocate a large exansion of government welfare and offices such as Justice.

the opposite of authoritarianism

Pretty much all the things the PVV advocates are authoritarian in nature. I presume you haven't read their proposed reforms to Justice.

and the far-right.

Far Right has no set economics. Falangist Spain had a fre market.

[Fingon NL]

He's angry and ashamed of both himself, Bos, and the fact that a right wing racist like Wilders manages to get all the votes he wanted.
Anyway, D66 and Groenlinks did great (Utrecht will finally be GREEN) and it's also good the VVD did not win much power within the communities.

He's angry and ashamed of both himself, Bos, and the fact that a right wing racist like Wilders manages to get all the votes he wanted.
Anyway, D66 and Groenlinks did great (Utrecht will finally be GREEN) and it's also good the VVD did not win much power within the communities.

Yes that was very nice, in Leiden where I live D'66 got the biggest victory in the whole country, from 6% to 24,5%

Overall they went from 142 seats in municipalities to 522(!!) that's like a 300% increase.

I too find this terrible and am ashamed that our country has such a big amount of idiots voting for Blondie here.
So you're a hippy and Europhile?

Not all that much, but I have the most confidence in the administrative qualities and general common sense from those parties, and to a lesser extent those from the PvdA.

[Treize]

Nah, they ware just a bunch of populist chavs.

[Tirus]

Populist, opportunist, 'ebil rasists'... That says 'nuf I think.

[Chlodwig I.]

Is Wilders realy Far-Right?

I thought he was against Afghanistan-War and to keep the entry age for Pension at 65.....which are both left positions.

[Tirus]

Is Wilders realy Far-Right?

I thought he was against Afghanistan-War and to keep the entry age for Pension at 65.....which are both left positions.

Those are left-wing things indeed; a very clear indication that Wilders is an opportunist and a populist. He uses important issues to get into media attention. But on the economic side of politics he's still far right, and that also goes for his integration policy.