Tea parties and a Party for Freedom

From The Economist’s Democracy in America blog:

THE two most consistently fascinating, and most consistently infuriating, email lists I subscribe to are those of Tea Party Nation and Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV). One thing that’s extremely interesting about reading both lists is how similar, on a formal level, their strategies and appeals are. For example, yesterday I got an email from the PVV relaying the questions put to a government minister by one of the PVV’s members of parliament, regarding a scandal over an Amsterdam Muslim-oriented community organisation, Asri, that ran a local get-out-the-vote campaign including the message: “Asri calls on everyone to go vote on March 2. The future, or back to 1939.”

Read the rest.

Wilders: No dual citizenship

From Radio Netherlands Worldwide:

Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders says he assumes a woman recently elected to the Gelderland provincial council for the party will get rid of her double nationality as soon as possible.

Petra Kouwenberg holds both Dutch and Turkish nationality, but according to Geert Wilders, he did not know she also had Turkish nationality until very recently. The party leader said Ms Kouwenberg is eager to get rid of her Turkish nationality and to this end will visit the Turkish embassy on Friday.

The issue of Ms Kouwenberg’s double nationality is an embarrasment to the PVV. In parliament, the party has consistently villified politicians holding double nationality, claiming this could lead to a conflict of interest.

Read the rest.

PVV opposes appointment of ‘anti-Wilders’ judge

From DutchNews.nl:

The anti-Islam party PVV is attempting to block the appointment of a Dutch law professor to the High Court because it would be too political, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday.

The party hopes to force a formal named vote on the appointment of Ybo Buruma in parliament next week.

MP Louis Bontes said the nomination is an ‘enormous scandal’ and accused Buruma of likening PVV leader Geert Wilders to Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

Read the rest.

Geert Wilders’s Crusade

A letter to the Wall Street Journal:

The Feb. 22 op-ed by Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders, “European Free Speech Under Attack,” is representative of Western prejudice and fear of a great religion with more than a billion followers. This personal, emotional tirade from Mr. Wilders shows his lack of knowledge about Islam, which is a religion and not an ideology at all, much less a “totalitarian ideology.”

Historically, it has been the Europeans who have traveled to all parts of the world to spread death and destruction wherever they landed. They have wiped out entire civilizations and cultures to satisfy their greed for material goods and, many a time, they have done so in the name of spreading religious values. The self-righteousness of several of today’s crusaders is not only hypocritical but quite appalling. A person like Mr. Wilders somehow feels he is qualified to comment on Islam because he can quote two women who have devoted their lives to a vendetta against the religion. In fact, attacking Islam, its prophet, or its followers, has become an easy way to gain Western celebrity status and make big bucks.

Read the rest.

If the EDL find a British Geert Wilders, the political scene could change

From Left Foot Forward:

Nearly a month after what appears to have been a Daily Star scoop, The Independent reports that the English Defence League does indeed intend to become a legitimate political party.

This development comes after the publication of a report by the Searchlight Educational Trust. As discussed on Left Foot Forward last week, this report revealed 52 per cent of the population believe Muslims “create problems in the UK”. Moreover, it demonstrated the existence of “popular support for a sanitised, non-violent and non-racist English nationalist political party”.As such, there is potential for the EDL to exploit this support and form a popular far-right party akin to Holland’s Freedom Party or the Swiss People’s Party. However, there are many pitfalls associated with articulating a sanitised, non-violent, nationalistic political platform.

Read the rest.

Could going mainstream be the death of the Freedom Party?

By Nicola Chadwick, for Radio Netherlands Worldwide:

Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party has rocketed into a position of real power in the Netherlands. Although it is not actually part of the minority government coalition, its support in parliament has been rewarded by many of its ideas being incorporated into government policies.

The party’s anti-establishment image and anti-Islam views have brought it huge popularity in a relatively short period of time.

However, now that the rebel with a cause is starting to be invited to meetings and debates by big business and mainstream political parties, there is a danger its controversial image may fade and so may its electoral support.

Read the rest.

Wilders: ‘Opposition to Islam is Europe’s little Revolution’

From NIS News Bulletin:

THE HAGUE, 01/03/11 – Within Europe, the Party for Freedom (PVV) sound can be heard increasingly frequently, and this will only become more so, according to party leader Geert Wilders. In a interview with nu.nl website, he signals an “anti-Islam wave” that can no longer be stopped. “We have our own little revolution here.”

Some critics of cabinet policy say that many envisaged measures the cabinet wants to take infringe EU legislation. But according to the PVV leader, this is nonsense. Additionally, many people in other European countries also want tougher measures against crime, immigration and Islamisation.

A party similar to the PVV has recently been set up in Germany: The Freedom Party of Rene Stadtkewitz. In the UK as well, Wilders sees opportunities for a party to be set up like the PVV to fill the gap between the British National Party, which is according to Wilders racist, and the conservatives.

Read the rest.

Meanwhile, via Expatica.com: Wilders: Anti-Islam wave unstoppable.