Wilders Delenda Est!

[H.Numan]

Wilders Delenda Est!

On Wednesday 19 March municipal elections were held in The Netherlands. What follows is a lengthy article what happened afterwards and why.

As expected, the labor-conservative coalition got a drubbing. The PvdA (labor party) lost massively. So did the VVD (conservative party). Just slightly less.

The winner was, as expected, D66. This is a center-left wing party. Left-wing enough for disillusioned labor voters to vote for, and at the same time conservative enough for conservatives to vote for. As we often say here: conservative D66 voters are VVD voters with a conscience. This party has no other principles than ‘how do we get elected today?’

There is only one real issue D66 stands for: get rid of Geert Wilders! This party mainly focuses on people with a better than average income and is the party most in favor of the EU. Something which the PVV (Wilders’ party) firmly opposes. Both D66 and the PVV are offspring of the VVD party. But you couldn’t find any two parties more opposite to each other.

Not that long ago Dutch politics used to be dominated by four parties: VVD (conservatives) on the center right, CDA (Christian Democrats) somewhere in the middle, together with D66 a bit more to the left, and PvdA (labor) on the left.

Then a new party came along, with a very different agenda. The PVV, whose main issues are: (1) does The Netherlands need so many Muslims, in so many important positions, with so much attention (social welfare)? And (2) do we really need to remain in the EU?

The PVV electorate are the common folk ignored by main stream parties. Something very Dutch, actually. We call this group ‘de kleine luyden’, that’s old fashioned Dutch for ‘the little people. It’s not the first time those people have been ignored.

The conservative VVD is an abbreviation of ‘People’s Party for Democracy’ in Dutch, but can also be translated as ‘Society for Managing Directors’ (Vereniging Van Directeuren) which would be a much better description of that party. The ‘little people’ in that party are the ones serving drinks or cleaning up after a meeting.

The CDA (Christian Democrat) Party used to be the voice of those little people. A long time ago. The CDA is a merger of the Roman Catholic Party together with two Protestant parties. The ‘kleine luyden’ were in the past staunchly conservative Catholic and/or Protestant.

The CDA party was formed as a response to their individual member parties’ losing out to secularization. By merging they were still able to dominate the political landscape, which they couldn’t do alone anymore. This worked for about twenty years. However, secularization is an ongoing process. Since 1980 they have gradually lost so much support that the ‘C’ nowadays is an empty meaningless letter.

The Christian Democrat Party warmly welcomes any religion, especially the one worshiping a black stone in the desert. Representing ‘the little people’ is just about the last item on their agenda. Having lost the national and previous municipal elections they have only one thing on their minds: how do we get back in?

Lastly the PvdA or Labor Party. The last in this list claiming to represent ‘the little people’, notably the workers. Since the late sixties they have focused on migration rather than on laborers. Anyone is welcome, but some are much more welcome than others. The PvdA today is the number one party focusing on ethnic minorities, especially the Islamic ones.

The PVV electorate are the lower social classes, up to and including average-income workers and a bit above. Hence the often voiced complaint that the PVV is actually an extreme left-wing party in disguise.

Nope, they aren’t. They are staunchly conservative. Not extreme right-wing nor even slightly to the left. They run the real risk of having to use the social welfare system a lot more than financially better-off people, and they see that the available funds are being squandered on lots of things, but none of them essential. Usually on something multicultural.

All they want is to spend that welfare (= tax) money on people who really need it. Not on — for example — young people who never held a job. (Called “wajong” in Dutch, “Wet werk en arbeidsondersteuning jonggehandicapten”, a welfare law for young handicapped people who have never worked a day in their lives and most often intend to keep it that way.)

The “handicapped” is added to disarm anyone who questions this law. Surely you don’t want to make their life more difficult than it is already, do you? Unless you are a capitalist/egoist/fascist, of course!

A nice example of this: a Muslim juvenile was on wajong benefits. He wasn’t fit for any kind of work due to his physical condition. However, this chap went to Syria where he fought for one of the Islamic terror gangs. Recently he returned to Holland. Now he is fighting to get his 100% handicapped status back. In my book a man who is fit enough to fight is fit enough to earn his living.

At this moment a coalition of labor and conservatives rule the country. That government was elected on false promises: the PvdA warned their electorate not to vote for the Socialist (formerly Maoist) Party, while the conservatives together with all other parties warned their electorate about the PVV. Everybody had to vote ‘strategically’, and most did.

This government represents both ends of the political spectrum, which obviously does not work. Hence the massive drubbing both parties got in this municipal election.

Municipal elections are held nationwide in every municipality, and those municipalities have a lot to say about local politics and taxation. Far more than in the US. Hence the importance of this election.

There is another election on the way in a couple of months, this time for the EU. Here the PVV does participate and they are very vocal in getting out of the EU. A contra-EU group will most likely be formed in the EU parliament.

All polls showed a sincere lack of interest in this election. About 53% showed up, a record low. The polls showed that both labor and the conservatives were going to bleed severely for their governance so far. The polls were spot on.

The big winners were local parties and D66. The losers were the PvdA (labor), VVD (conservatives) and CDA (Christian Democrats) in that order. The Christian Democrats also claim victory because they didn’t lose as much as last time. (Which seems to me a bit masochistic.)

Personally I expected D66 to win, because it would collect most disillusioned voters both left and right. Conservative voters aren’t yet going to vote for the PVV. If only because the PVV party was running in only two cities: The Hague and Almere. Had the PVV run in every city, results would have been a massive victory for that party.

And now comes the catch:

Wilders made a very public statement in The Hague televised nationwide. On the eve of the elections he asked his party members: do you want a city with somewhat less Moroccans? The party members (celebrating their local victory; the PVV came in second place) shouted: LESS!! LESS!! LESS!! On which Wilders replied: Okay folks, we’re going to work on that one!

This statement created a nationwide outcry amongst anyone multiculturally correct, and then some more. Just about anyone claiming to be a VIP has denounced Wilders. As publicly as possible of course; one has to work on that VIP status. Read any Dutch newspaper you like or watch any Dutch new channel. They barely report anything else.

What I find very disturbing is that a lot of those progressive (=left wing) celebrities are very openly comparing Wilders with Hitler. Also asking “Where is Volkert van der Graaf (murderer of Pim Fortuyn; will be released from prison in a couple of months) when you need him?”

Almost the same thing happened when Pim Fortuyn became troublesome. A climate of hatred and vilification was created, so a person with a grudge could do the deed. That person couldn’t be a Muslim, otherwise we’d experience a new Kristallnacht. Nor a known socialist; that would kill not only Fortuyn but also socialism in general. And of course such a person arose to solve this nasty little problem. An unknown tree-hugger named Volkert van der Graaf. The rest is history…

Very likely another Wilders trial will be initiated. With about as much chance of a conviction, in my opinion. Wilders doesn’t make a statement like that without consulting his legal team first. Not after his first trial. The same people are running amok the same way they did before.

A much better question is: Why did Wilders made that statement?

Simple. In The Hague the PVV came second. D66 won the local election. D66 always exclude the PVV wherever they can — that is the only principle they steadfastly adhere to. What Wilders did was to shut the door firmly on any possible coalition including his party. Just to make sure. Otherwise the PVV would inevitably be blamed for any possible problem, supposing that they would be included in the city council. (On a bright note: the main issue troubling The Hague has already been settled by this PVV victory. The proposed theater-palace will be canceled. But that’s outside the scope of this article.)

The Christian Democrats took the bait. Hook, line, and sinker: Mr. Buma announced they joined the a cordon sanitaire around the PVV. That makes three of the four major parties: D66, PvdA and now CDA.

For those of you who haven’t been to The Hague: at this moment about 50% of the population is of ethnic origin. Not exactly 50%, but pretty damn close. Not all of them are Muslim. However, you’d have far more difficulty finding your way to a church than to a mosque. Or to a Winti or Hindu temple, for that matter.

In fact, it is rather surprising to see the PVV come in second place there, given the very high number of people who almost by definition will never vote for the PVV. And, if you happen to be multicultural: that is extremely disturbing. Something has to be done about that!

What better than to blame your broken promises and misgovernment on the ideal sacrificial lamb? That’s exactly what the parties who lost the election are doing right now.

The PvdA leader in Amsterdam (nowadays often nicknamed Islamsterdam by the Dutch), Pieter Hilhorst, already resigned. Diederik Samson (PvdA leader in parliament) is almost certain to follow him. Kicking and screaming no doubt, but resign he must. Amsterdam was the Jewel in the Labor crown. They have ruled this city non stop since 1949. Very often with an absolute majority. This election they not only lost their majority, but they have to work hard simply to be included in the council!

Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s position is a bit more secure. Rumors about his possible replacement aren’t circulating as yet. The question is: for how long? Both Rutte and Diederik Samson have announced that the election results will not influence government policy. (So nice to see a real democracy at work!) That may come back to haunt them pretty soon.

A lot of people found it rather cynical that the parties winning the election all support this government. I do not. The electorate simply didn’t have anything else available to vote for. They voted for either a local party or the least worst of possible options. Hence the big D66 victory. That makes it a rather hollow victory, what?

Latest news:

As I type this, the prime minister just announced (as leader of the conservative party) that the VVD party will join the cordon sanitaire around the PVV. That means all major parties (D66, PvdA, CDA and now also VVD) will not negotiate any coalition including the PVV party.

Currently the PVV is polled as the largest party nationwide. Roughly 30% of the electorate supports the PVV. One third of the population is now excluded. Again, it’s really nice to see democracy at work!

— H. Numan
Gates of Vienna

[Ozes]

Ik had het al gelezen op GoV, goed artikel.

[Ariel]

Ik had het al gelezen op GoV, goed artikel.

Ben ik met je eens. Well done Numan.

[Manon]

dikke twee.

Net als hier: verkrachting van de democratie. Maar het komt van links dus is het goed.
Nu ja, de Nationaal Socialisten hadden ook de verkiezingen afgeschaft. Ze hebben een goed voorbeeld.

[Eliabe]

Goed geschreven. 100 punten. Dat dit artikel in iedere huiskamer in NL mag verschijnen.

[King George]

@ H.Numan,

Is het misschien een idee om je artikelen op Gates of Vienna gepubliceerd exclusief voor FFI ook in het Nederlands te vertalen?