Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing, anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV), has rejected an invitation to re-open negotiations about forming a right-wing cabinet. VVD leader Mark Rutte extended the invitation during a parliamentary debate on the formation of a new cabinet.
Mr Wilders refused to consider the invitation unless Christian Democrat leader Maxime Verhagen joined the talks at the outset, although he added, "if Mr Verhagen agrees to talks, then I'm your man".
The new parliament today held a debate with Senator Uri Rosenthal, the first person appointed by Queen Beatrix to advise on the formation of a new cabinet. Mr Rosenthal told MPs that he had advised the queen that a right-wing government would be impossible to form. Senator Rosenthal delivered his final report to the queen on Friday. The following day, the Dutch monarch appointed Herman Tjeenk Willink, vice president of the Council of State and her most important adviser, as the new formation facilitator. However, he will not be negotiating a coalition agreement but has been tasked with trying to break the deadlock and bring potential partners together.
Pariah
During the he televised debate, Mr Wilders complained that his party was being treated "like a pariah, a leper, and a homeless person that people would rather have standing out in the streets". Mr Wilders' PVV made the largest gains in the 9 June elections and won 24 seats.
Now that a right-wing cabinet has been ruled out again, Mr Rutte appears to be setting his sights on a "grand" cabinet, made up of the traditional large parties - his own conservative VVD, the centre-right Christian Democrats and the centre-left Labour Party.
Labour, D66 and Green Left, who are all pushing for a "purple plus" coalition with the VVD, have concluded that a right-wing cabinet is definitely impossible now that Mr Wilders has rejected the VVD’s offer. Labour leader Job Cohen told journalists, "this is a clear sign that the door to a left-wing cabinet has been slammed shut". Mr Cohen says the economic situation in the country makes it imperative to start negotiations on forming a powerful "plus" cabinet as soon as possible.
It is not clear where the formation process is at present. Mr Willink met on Monday with the leaders of the VVD, Labour, CDA, D66 and Green Left but most of the politicians were reluctant to divulge any details about their meetings. No talks were scheduled for today.
Email this Article
Printer-friendly version
We live at a time of electronic revolution. Human civilization has never reached these heights before. But it will be safer for us to understand the difference between civilization and culture. Civilized societies have nurtured shameful culture; remember Roman coliseum and the cruel and horrific entertainments that were conducted for an eminent audience of 50,000 there. It is against this kind of deterioration that our courts are fortunately alert, preserving our culture. Human development has made mixing of populations possible and our further growth depends on these healthy interactions. It is time that we shared our ideologies. It’s foolish to interpret it as clash of civilizations at a time when the world has shrunken to a global village. Mr. wilders and his party has shown us a bad example, promoting a politics based entirely on hatred. This hatred and the politics based on it should give way to understanding and mutual respect at a time when authentic knowledge others is well within the reach for everyone. People like him have caused lot of damage in the past. All those who love a cultured society based on tolerance should raise their voice.
Mr. Wilders' politics is based entirely on freedom for all, and no amount of spin and deceit can change that.
Mr. Wilders' has stated over and over again he recognizes and accepts that many Muslims have come to The Netherlands to become good citizens. He is also not willing to turn a blind eye to the violent, anti-social and anti-democratic behavior and speech that comes from a good number of Muslims.
Keeping those who are peaceful, and throwing out those who preach death and refuse to integrate into the society that took them in. . . How in the world is that "uncivilized"?
No wonder the desperate and childish label of "racist" is wildly thrown at Mr. Wilders. The lack of logic and common sense is so obviously missing from his detractors there is nothing much left but make up lies.
This has nothing to do with race or hatred. It has to do with preserving a democracy. The very notion that Mr. Wilders is attacked for standing up for human rights and democracy is ridiculous.
Geert Wilders has threatened violence to no one. Islamists have threatened and killed plenty.
I know who I want shaping the future of The Netherlands.
"This hatred and the politics based on it should give way to understanding and mutual respect at a time when authentic knowledge of others is well within the reach of everyone." Yes I agree, the word mutual of course is the key. The word mutual means: experienced or done by each of two or more parties towards the other or others. The problem in Dutch society and all the Western nations that have allowed Islamic immigration is this, Western countries tolerate Islam pass hate speech laws so no one may criticize it bend over backwards to cater to Islamic needs halal food in schools prisons etc and what do they get in return? They get contempt, chaos on the streets when ever some one draws a cartoon or does something the Islamic community finds objectionable and an ever increasing list of new demands with no thought or concern of how others might feel. They also get comments that suggest only one side is to blame, suggesting it's all the fault of Wilders and the people who voted for the PVV. This is hardly mutual is it?
Mutual would be instead looking not just at Wilders but also to see if the Islamic community may have done something to lead to concern over the growth of Islam in the Netherlands. Mutual would be checking to see if the Islamic community is showing the same tolerance to non-Muslims as non-Muslims have shown to Muslims as witnessed by non-Muslims allowing Muslims to build new lives for themselves in the Netherlands.
I think it's time for the Islamic community to try to understand the thoughts behind those who are concerned about Islam. It should be easy to do "at a time when authentic knowledge of others is well within the reach of everyone."
And by the way just to make it clear I think Geert Wilders is a hero. A man who risks his life every day just to speak the truth. Remember the truth is only hate to those who hate the truth.
I have read two English translations of the Koran and the Hadith(which is thew life of Mohammed) and I know that what Dr. Wafa Sultan says about it being very much watered down is true. I believe that it is criminal of the Dutch court to lay charges against Geert Wilders. We need more people like them to speak the truth. It is unfortunate that Mr Verhagen refuses to join the talks so Mr. Wilders will as well. Europe will become Eurabia unless everyone gets their act together and works together. There are some Muslims who are very actively working towards the Islamic Caliphate in the West and they must be stopped. I meet many Muslims in my area who arrive wearing western clothing and interacting with everyone but it isn't too long before they are very Islamic in their dress and behaviour. It is difficult to protect ourselves and our way of life when people in general have so little understanding of the goals of these people and we are so concerned about offending others. Islam does not allow for the examination of it's beliefs and criticism the way other faiths have. Why is that? Much of it is indefensible and those who made the rules about it knew that and have set in place a way to protect their faith(political and legal system). I saw a recent poll done amongst Muslims in the Islamic world which found that Mohammed takes precedence over Allah. Who ever heard of a religion in which the prophet out ranks God? The Dutch and the rest of us should appreciate Wilders because he is fighting an uphill battle for us all. Before you make judgments about him read the truth yourselves.
So true, Anonymous. We in the West are in consternation as to why the Dutch people will not stand up en masse for Wilders. He is a HERO.
One and a half million ballots were wasted on Geert just so he could exhibit temper tantrums at not having won an absolute majority to govern absolutely. As stated many times before in this forum, Geert has no desire to co-operate and nothing to offer to a coalition government. Why then did so many people vote for a canidate in Geert, who was never to realistically win a share of power for his supporters?
As a leftist I think you will see my debate skills add much to the discussion. Blah,blah,blah, Hitler, blah, Nazi blah, just like Wilders blah. Vote GroenLinks!
Yes of course, also Adolph Hitler rejected any coalition talks! L'etat c'est moi!
Wilders is extreme. An extreme that needs to exist. He and his ilk need to remain, to balance out those who would really just give away our country and our freedoms to those who will take what you give, take over, and then strip us all of our freedoms and place us all under their draconian laws. Wilders, and no one who voted for him and his party, wants to take away Muslims faith, or freedoms. All he says is that their freedom ends at changing us to fit their mold of moral and correct, and if they don't like that, then this is not the place for them. Tolerance is not allowing people to walk all over you, tolerance is accepting others as long as what they do does not negatively impact what they interact with. Hell people, we are reluctant members of the EU, and sometimes the UN, due to not wanting other countries have a say in how we are here in Netherlands. We have allowed outside opinions to have a large say in how we work and play, and some would say the outside influence on our decisions to change our cultural norms is already too great. Are we really going to rail against that, yet allow people who already refuse to speak our language, isolate themselves outside our schools and social circles, claim insult and threaten death and terror at every minor criticism, and press forward in acquiring the right to enforce Sharia law on Dutch soil to do so without a whimper in the spirit of being PC? Really? Have we not yet learned that allowing others from outside Netherlands come in and impose their will upon us is not good? Or will we not learn, only discover to our dismay when suddenly the last election comes and after wards, with a swiftness you will not believe, Sharia becomes the law of the land, a lot more than a ladies bosom will have to be covered, and all traces of the unique freedoms we as Dutch have enjoyed are gone like the morning fog. Think about it this way. Wilders is on trial for what he has said in Fitna and otherwise, none of which called for death or violence, just stated his point of view and his evidence to back it up, along with a rather tame newspaper cartoon as a dig. Are the Muslims in Netherlands and abroad who have openly and proudly called for his death in custody or on trial? No? Why is that, do you think? Who has been treated harsher in the media, Wilders who has killed no one, or the Killer of Theo van Gogh? Can Theo's son go out without an escort yet, or even safely tell anyone his name? They call us infidel and Zionist and pigs and dogs. Their holy people call for the takeover, the death, the erasing of all non-Muslims from the face of the Earth. Their supposed moderate mumble denials, but do nothing to silence the supposed extreme of their faith. Yet Wilders is the problem? I think we all really need to reread our history books.
religious discrimination isn't racism. religion doesn't equal race. anyway, have fun when islam owns your country and you aren't free to do 90% of the things you are now free to do. and if you are a woman, i hope you enjoy your new life as a dog.
Wilders and his party should be kept out of the cabinet. These kinds of ideas have no place in a modern democracy, and certainly have no place in the European Union. Rather, The Netherlands and other countries should be working for diversity and inter-culturalism, not racism.
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.