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Press Review Wednesday 6 October 2010 | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

The last obstacle to a rightwing coalition is removed as Christian Democrat dissidents back down, Geert Wilders' trial goes ahead despite "unfortunate" remarks by the judge, and the Netherlands braces for a frog invasion.

No more talking - it's testosterone time
"The time for talking is over, the time for action has arrived," populist De Telegraaf announces dramatically. All the papers lead with the news that the two Christian Democrat "dissidents" Ad Koppejan and Kathleen Ferrier have finally agreed to toe the party line, removing the final obstacle to a VVD-CDA coalition resting on the parliamentary support of Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom Party.

"It is my conviction that we will be giving up a core value of our party if we agree to this government construction." That was what Kathleen Ferrier said at the CDA conference on Saturday - and just to rub it in, nrc.next blows up this quote to fill its entire front page. Three days later the Christian Democrat MP, daughter of the first president of Suriname after the former Dutch colony became independent, has agreed to "not to block the formation" of the cabinet.

Nrc.next also gleefully reminds us of fellow dissident Ad Koppejan's Saturday speech: "In a divided country, we mustn't give Wilders a platform with this construction to preach his message of hatred against Islam." He now explains that "our objections stand", AD reports, and the two dissidents will "judge it on its actions". They say they'll be keeping a critical eye on the government's every move, particularly when it comes to immigration and integration policy. "So they should," comments Geert Wilders, "they're paid to do that."

The upshot is that the opposition is "increasingly cynical about the cabinet's stability," says Trouw. The coalition will already have to look elsewhere for support on policies that aren't to Mr Wilders' taste - anything to do with the European Union for example. But now, with its flimsy one-seat majority, it will have to turn to the right-wing orthodox protestant SGP for support when it comes to Mr Wilders' beloved tough measures on immigration.

Despite all the controversy, the papers are unanimous. By the middle of next week, the Netherlands will have Mark Rutte as its new prime minister, at the head of what Trouw describes a "rightwing, testosterone cabinet".

by Nomad (Bjinse) on Wed Oct 6th, 2010 at 01:14:55 PM EST
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