Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders says he assumes a woman recently elected to the Gelderland provincial council for the party will get rid of her double nationality as soon as possible.
Petra Kouwenberg holds both Dutch and Turkish nationality, but according to Geert Wilders, he did not know she also had Turkish nationality until very recently. The party leader said Ms Kouwenberg is eager to get rid of her Turkish nationality and to this end will visit the Turkish embassy on Friday.
The issue of Ms Kouwenberg's double nationality is an embarrasment to the PVV. In parliament, the party has consistently villified politicians holding double nationality, claiming this could lead to a conflict of interest.
Last year, Mr Wilders submitted a proposal intended to force Deputy Health Minister Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten to renounce her Swedish nationality. And three years ago, he argued for a vote of no confidence against Labour Party deputy ministers Nebahat Albayrak and Ahmed Aboutaleb, because they held double nationality (Dutch-Turkish and Dutch-Moroccan).
It is not clear how Ms Kouwenberg - who has refused to comment on the situation - obtained Turkish nationality.
(gsh/nc)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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From my observation Mr. Wilders assumption about not allowing dual citizenship is quit a contrast with the present unjust and unfair situation and what happens with childrens of certain Dutch nationalities with one parents or spouse of non-dutch nationalities being forcefully to separate from their children even being jailed eventhough their parents or spouse wanted to stay together and only have a Dutch citizenship.
Lets share my story I am a hard working father of two children and we all have Dutch citizenship and living in the Netherlands but only the mother of the children which is from a non-European nationality are denied to get a Dutch citizenship and as a result until now have to be separated far apart from the family for 8 years.
I have seen small puppies together with their mother along the road walking together cheerfully with their owner in this beloved land of mine the Netherlands which are welknown of respect towards human right and tears run down my eyes as I remember my children separated because of their mother not able to have one Dutch Citizenship and have to live far apart and separated from the children.
I don't know why this would be an embarrasment to the PVV. Ms. Kouwenberg didn't try to deceive anyone. I can't understand how one would not know that they had dual citizenship, but she is trying to correct the matter. That action shows that she stands behind the PVV policy of no dual citizenship. I'm sure Mr. Wilders' detractors will make a lot of political hay over this; however any rational person can see that there's no hypocrissy here, just an honest (if not strange) mistake.
Sorry...typo in the last sentence. It should be "hypocrisy", without the second "s".
Sorry...typo in the last sentence. It should be "hypocrisy", without the second "s".
This doesn´t sway me one bit from supporting PVV. I admire Petra Kouwenberg for being honest I also trust her and don´t give a crap what the media has to say.