At first the atmosphere was still very calm. The leader of the right-wing populist “freedom Party” Wilders (Geert Wilders) and journalist Rick Nieman (Nieman Rick) in one voice saying that nothing was agreed. And that should be in the order of things, pointed out: still, it’s an interview shown on the state channel on Sunday morning was unusual. Wilders was first voiced its position in a detailed TV interview, which would’ve been expected. Wilders for several weeks dominating in the debates preceding the parliamentary elections in the Netherlands on 15 March. His party sharply opposes Islam, is clearly the leader in the polls.
In an interview with Wilders even more critical of Islam. He said that Islamism, “perhaps more dangerous” to the Nazi ideology. Wilders compared the Koran with “Mein Kampf” Hitler’s book, which is called the reference book on the ideology of the Nazi terror. In its election program, the freedom Party calls to ban the Koran and close the mosques.
Wilders drew attention to the fact that even “Mein Kampf” is forbidden in the Netherlands — with the exception of using books for research purposes. According to him, it is about the monstrous ideology of hatred and anti-Semitism. But the Koran, in turn, you’ll be even more full of anti-Semitism and incitement to violence. “If we do not allow “Mein Kampf”, the same must be done with the Koran.”
The numerous questions of the Nieman about how the freedom Party is going to implement a ban on the Koran, Wilders replied reluctantly. The Koran is supposedly not going to take away from people. “But we will make sure that he wasn’t in the sale.” Wilders, of course, understood that the Qur’an can be downloaded from the Internet. Therefore the ban to some extent can be considered symbolic.
“No more immigrants”
It is believed that elections in the Netherlands will indicate the direction for further development of how Europe this year can be “shifted right”. In France, where in April will take place the first round of presidential elections, marine Le Pen (Marine Le Pen), the leader of the far-right party “national front” called promising candidate. She even promise a serious chance for the presidency in part to the fact that the conservative françois Fillon, until recently, considered the favorite, have a lot of pressure. The reputation of the Fillon shaken in connection with the scandal around the employment of his wife in the French Parliament.
In Germany, in turn, party of ADH in the parliamentary elections in September has all the chances to score more votes than four years ago, and enter the Bundestag. The party has joined several regional parliaments. In Italy, perhaps in this year, too, after the election. The fact that all three parties — the freedom Party, national front and ADH — differ close to each other ideology, it has become clear in January. In Koblenz, a meeting was held of several European right-wing populist parties. It was attended by Wilders, Le Pen and leader of the ADG Frauke Petry (Frauke Petry) calling 2017 “the year of the patriots.”
Wilders, who founded the freedom Party in 2006, has long criticized Islam. 53-year-old dyed blond describes it as “ideology.” This he clearly writes in the party’s election program that fit on a sheet of A4. He intends to “declarativity” Netherlands, appears in the first paragraph. And again: “no More immigrants from Islamic countries to close the borders.” Besides, he’s going to cancel all issued to the refugees residence permits, to ban the wearing of Muslim headscarves in public places, as well as to close the mosque. All the usual statements without explanation as to how the party is going to realize their goals. This became clear during the course of the interview.
Niman Wilders were plagued by questions about whether the freedom Party is going to shut down the mosque. Response the policy of the Party of freedom sounded somewhat vague: mosques should be banned, “not give them permission.” He compared the mosque to “Nazi temples”, which, if any, was in the Netherlands, “is also forbidden.”
Besides Wilders and then says about the freedom of speech, he seeks to “Nexo”, that is, wants the Netherlands out of the EU. He also intends to allocate more funds for military and police.
The other points of his election program in a political sense have a more “leftist line”: for example, plans to reduce the fee for rental housing, as well as to reduce the amount of income tax and to cease to save money on subsidizing home care. How the freedom Party is going, for example, to achieve lower prices for rental housing, in the election program, in General, is not explained.
“Behave or leave”
Election projections indicate that the Wilders with their demands — no matter how simple they may seem — still comes on the “pain points” of Dutch society. The freedom party could become the most powerful force of the Dutch Parliament. According to a survey research center “Ipsos”, the party will win almost 20 percent of the vote. Rather, 28 of the 150 seats is almost twice as many deputies than representing the party in Parliament currently.
The right-wing liberal “people’s party for freedom and democracy” under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Rutte will receive, according to the same survey, only 24 seats, currently the party in Parliament is represented by 40 deputies. Even greater failure awaits the partner party in the coalition — the labor Party. The social Democrats will have 11 seats in Parliament — a third less than they had before.
According to the forecasts of public opinion researcher Maurice de Honda freedom Party led by Wilders will show an even better result, namely 33 seats in Parliament. Besides, the party has gained recognition among skilled workers, as evidenced by a survey conducted recently by the Association of trade Union “De Unie”. This survey also showed how great distrust of society towards politics. The vast majority of respondents called politicians “elected”, dishonest and not trustworthy.
However, what Wilders more and will take the post of Prime Minister is highly unlikely. Rutte rejected a coalition with the freedom Party. If the results of the election on 15 March will be such with what them represent the actual forecasts, a few games, three or four will have to unite in a coalition. However, about 70 percent of the Dutch believe that Rutte may in the end still will rule together with Wilders. But lately it seems that the Prime Minister too launched the situation with Wilders.
In a recent letter to “all Dutch” Rutte took the tone characteristic of the freedom Party, and opposed the part of migrants. “We feel a growing discomfort when people are abusing our freedom to bring society out of balance, although they came to our country because of freedom,” said Rutte in a letter that took a whole page in the Dutch Newspapers. “Behave or leave”.
However, supporters of many other parties, meanwhile, are still willing to pick people’s party for freedom and democracy — apart from your choosing the best way to prevent the scenario in which the freedom Party will become the most powerful force in Parliament. Thus, according to data published in the newspaper “De Volkskrant”, nearly one-fifth of the voters of left-liberal party “Democrats-66” conservative “Christian democratic appeal” and “Green left” and the social Democrats can imagine that will vote for the people’s party for freedom and democracy.
Wilders, being a member of the latter until 2004 and has more than 10 years under police protection because of death threats from Islamists, and then embarking on provocations — often through messages on the social network Twitter, where he attached great importance, because, as the politician said in an interview with, it can convey their intentions directly to the citizens of the country.
A few days ago, he tweeted an edited photo. It is the leader of the “Democrats-66” Alexander Pechtold to demonstrations surrounded by Islamists, demanding to enter in the Netherlands Sharia. Wilders have justified its publication: it has nothing to do with photo editing, in this form the 2009, goes on the Internet. In addition, the press significantly contributed to the fact that this topic is so hotly debated.
Wilders used the interview to criticize politicians from other parties. The majority of MPs, according to him, completely divorced from reality. “They don’t have an idea what it looks like.” Their own ideas about the Netherlands, Wilders stated in a new campaign video of the party: “Our beautiful country, the country of our ancestors (…) the Only thing we have is our only Fatherland”, — is spoken in the video. “Time for a change — the Brits showed an example, Americans are brought to life. And we also do. How long more do we have masters in our own house?”
The slogan of the freedom Party sounds like “Nederland weer van ons!”, which means We have to regain the Netherlands.
