Radio Netherlands Worldwide

The timing of this film's appearance is not exactly coincedental with the upcoming local elections. It should serve as an indication of how well the PVV does in the two cities it is participating in. The PVV should be making an effort in every constituency in these elections. The poll for the general elections may put the PVV at 26 seats, but a great deal of grassroots work has to be done in maintaining a political machine, and demonstrating to the electorate it can work to put together a viable coalition to run the national government. The PVV is sending out the wrong message by claiming on the one hand that they are indispensible to the nation's survival, when on the other hand there is no perception of any crisis at all by a general public, many of whom are not even aware of the elections at all. The PVV's non-participation in the elections to a full extent,only reinforces this perception and negates it's own raison d'etre. Everything is now focused upon Geert, which is the weakness of his one-man leadership structure of the PVV. The film is meant to exploit this weakness, especially while Geert is embroiled in the trial while resistance to he and the PVV is growing. Geert needs to make a major power base in the urban areas, to emphasize the crisis atmosphere he and the PVV claims to exist there. With the complacency of the general public towards the local elections, two very different views of daily reality emerge. Why is there no great anticipation of these elections to free the locals at the level where they conduct their daily lives? Where is the need for the PVV to come and save the Dutch and their way of life? The rise of the Greens seem to indicate a far different set and tendancies of priorities at the level of local life, and the PVV is missing the boat. The film is succeeding on keeping the PVV off balance, through exposing Geert as it's own major asset and concern, retreating further back into a one-issue stance. Even those who stand up for Geert are succumbing to this political trap the film and it's makers have snared them into. The next poll on the state of parties towards the comming general election will reveal how much there is a momentum shift towards a mult-issue basis in Dutch politics, and how the PVV can (if possible) to respond to it. David Berridge.