26 April 2014

Dutch lap up Wilders' hardline message

.... Geert Wilders' Moroccan comments provoked an avalanche of criticism. High-profile PVV members quit, accusing their leader of going too far. More than 5,000 people filed complaints to the public prosecutor, calling for Mr Wilders to be charged with inciting racial hatred.

But this week an email from the PVV appeared in my inbox: "43% of the Dutch want fewer Moroccans", it said, according to an independent poll it had commissioned. It seems Mr Wilders has turned the criticism to his advantage. Citing the findings of his own survey, Mr Wilders can once again claim that he is the only politician unafraid to discuss the real concerns of Dutch voters. [BBC] Read more