PVV victory at Dutch Elections a disaster to democracy
Astrid Essed
To:guardian.letters@theguardian.com
Sat, Dec 30 at 1:07 PM
LettertotheEditor
Dear Editor,
A Horror Day for Democracy.
That’s how I call the monster victory of anti-Islam populist leader Geert Wilders, who won with his Party for Freedom [PVV] 37 seats in Parliament at the recent 22 november Dutch General elections.
In the opinion polls before the elections Wilders scored high.
But this tsunami of seats was a big surprise for almost everyone, including
the political analysts.
For various reasons this PVV victory is a big disaster.
Firstly because of their points of view:
The PVV of Wilders is a far right wing party, which wages for about
17 years a hate campaign against the Islam as a religion, muslims,”non western” migrants in the Netherlands and refugees, and all those groups are blamed by Wilders for almost everything that goes wrong in the Netherlands.
According to Wilders they are all criminals.
He also dehumanizes migrants, by comparing them with ”hyena’s in
a parliamentary speech.
And as known, comparing human beings with animals is fascistic rhetoric.
He also mentioned male Syrian refugees ”testosterone bombs”, branding
them as rapists of western women….
That’s the man who won the Dutch elections with an overwhelming majority!
The same Wilders who spoke of ”Fewer Moroccans” in the Netherlands and was therefore
convicted by the judge.
And to add insult to injury:
His colleague PVV politician Markuszower speaks regularly in Parliament about
African refugees as ”intruders” or ”infiltrators”
However, the great problem with Wilders is not his referring to criminality in
connections with migrants/of course there is criminality under migrants-
Problem is, that according tothe Wilders rhetoric, non-western migrants,
muslims, Moroccans and other ”non-white” people are criminals as
a collective, as if there are no ”white” criminals.
The ironic thing is, that during the last Dutch election campaign Wilders
wanted to give the impression, that he was prepared to strike a more
milder tone regarding Islam and even ”’put in the fridge” fanatical anti-Islam
points of view like banning Mosques and Islamic schools.
He even declared to be ”prime minister of all Dutch people regardless
belief or etnicity”.
How ”mild” he really was just showed his recent visit toan anti-refugee
protest at Kijkduin, repeating he wants a total stop on refugees coming to
the Netherlands”
How mild!
Wilders didn’t become ”mild”, but is as extreme as he ever was
His Party Election Program: ”Dutch people on the first Place again”
is still existing, full of xenophobia and racism.
Therefore it would be super dangerous if the PVV, violating values
of equality and freedom of religion, would lead a government.
As dangerous if the Ring of Power, described by writer Tolkien in
the famous ”Lord of the Rings”, would return tothe Hand of the
Evil Lord Sauron.
Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands