European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 6 June | 67 comments (67 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Flight to the Fringes: Wilders Big Winner of Dutch EU Elections - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International

Populist Dutch politician Geert Wilders' right-wing party scored big in European elections held in the Netherlands on Thursday. The Party for Freedom is now the second largest Dutch party in Brussels, with the far left having made gains as well.
Geert Wilders (left) celebrates the European election results with his party colleague Barry Madlener on Thursday night. Geert Wilders and his populist Party for Freedom (PVV) appeared to be the big winners of Thursday's elections for European Parliament in the Netherlands. Exit polls released soon after the Dutch voting stations closed at 9 p.m. on Thursday evening predicted he would get four of the 25 Dutch seats in the European Parliament, making the PVV the second largest of all Dutch parties in Brussels.
Wilders, who has become popular in the Netherlands running on an anti-Islam and anti-political establishment platform, promised voters he would be tough on immigration and criticized Turkey's bid to join the EU. "Should Turkey as an Islamic country be able to join the European Union? We are the only party in Holland that says, it is an Islamic country, so no, not in 10 years, not in a million years," Wilders said.

by Fran on Fri Jun 5th, 2009 at 01:31:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: European Elections (4.00 / 4)

The other party in the Netherlands to be strengthened in the Thursday vote is the left-wing liberal -- and most outspokenly pro-European party in the Netherlands -- D66. It grew from one to three seats in the European parliament. The boost for these two parties showed that Dutch voters are moving to the fringes of the political spectrum.

Since when is D66 in the fringes of the political spectrum? It may have lost a lot of seats in the national parliament, but it seems to be pretty mainstream nonetheless.

Oh, wait, I forgot it is left liberal. That explains it.

The brainless should not be in banking. — Willem Buitler

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 5th, 2009 at 01:35:15 PM EST
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Re: European Elections (none / 0)

One take-away is that left-leaning parties and the far-right nutters won, but not the Mushy middle. This is good news, yeah?

by paving on Fri Jun 5th, 2009 at 03:44:44 PM EST
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Re: European Elections (none / 1)

D66 has been part of some of the Balkenende cabinets. They are not "fringe".

The brainless should not be in banking. — Willem Buitler

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jun 5th, 2009 at 07:57:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Being pro-European (4.00 / 3)

is obviously an extremist, ideological, position.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Jun 5th, 2009 at 06:08:56 PM EST
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European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 6 June | 67 comments (67 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)