“Proud of the Netherlands”, the political movement founded by Dutch politician Rita Verdonk is now a political party with members. For local council elections, the name of the party has been changed to “Proud of the Netherlands-List Rita Verdonk”.

Although members are entitled to discuss administrative affairs, Ms Verdonk has emphasised that non-members can also have an influence the party's policies. Ms Verdonk has long resisted turning her movement into a regular political party, the reason why she is allowing membership now is because she says people want to join the movement, "It gives them a sense of belonging".

On Dutch Radio One she denied that the move is to bring in badly needed funds for next year's local elections. Political parties with at least 1000 members are entitled to a subsidy from the government. Ms Verdonk says “We don’t have that many yet, we’ll see what happens”.

Rita Verdonk was integration minister for the conservative VVD in the previous cabinet Balkenende III. She was forced to leave the party's parliamentary faction in September 2007 following a power struggle with party leader Mark Rutte. In the last parliamentary election, the tough-speaking politician had received 67,000 more preferential votes than the party number one. When she tried to claim the leadership of the VVD, she was expelled from the parliamentary faction and gave up her party membership a month later. Two days later she began her own political movement.
 

Proud of the Netherlands (Trots op Nederland) was launched in April 2008 with a spectacular fund-raising event for supporters. At the time polls indicated up to 26 seats in parliament for the movement. Since then support for TON has plummeted as a result of internal wrangling and Rita Verdonk has struggled to win back popularity.

Photo: Rita Verdonk - ANP