Niederländer strafen Regierungsparteien ab
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Knapp sechs Monate ist die niederländische Regierung im Amt - nun hat sie bei den Provinzwahlen einen Dämpfer erhalten. Die Mehrheit im Oberhaus hat sie knapp verfehlt. Die Partei des Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders zählt zu den Gewinnern der Abstimmung.

Den Haag - In den Niederlanden geht die Minderheitsregierung von Ministerpräsident Mark Rutte geschwächt aus den Provinzwahlen hervor. Die von Islamgegner Geert Wilders gestützte Mitte-Rechts-Regierung hat eine Mehrheit für das Oberhaus des Parlaments knapp verfehlt. >>> kgp/dpa/AFP | Donnerstag, 03. März 2011

Victoire sur le fil des libéraux aux Pays-Bas
Le leader du parti libéral Mark Rutte devrait être chargé de former un gouvernement. Photo : Le Figaro
LE FIGARO: Le parti qui a fait campagne sur la réduction des déficits remporte les élections législatives anticipées, avec un siège d'avance sur les travaillistes. Troisième, l'extrême droite fait plus que doubler ses sièges.

Après une nuit passée au coude à coude, les libéraux mènent finalement d'une courte tête devant les travaillistes. Le parti libéral VVD obtient 31 sièges de députés sur 150 à l'issue des élections législatives anticipées de mercredi aux Pays-Bas. En face, le parti travailliste PvdA emporte 30 sièges. Des résultats encore provisoires, publiés après le dépouillement de 94% des bulletins de vote.

En se présentant comme les champions de la réduction des déficits, les libéraux ont bénéficié d'une campagne centrée sur l'économie, pour cette première législative en Europe après la crise grecque. Si le VVD marque ainsi une importante progression, sa faible avance sur les travaillistes ne lui permettra pas de gouverner seul. «Je suis tête de liste et candidat au poste de premier ministre mais il faut d'abord parvenir à constituer une coalition solide», a donc déclaré le leader libéral, Mark Rutte, au milieu de la nuit. S'il y parvient, il deviendrait à 43 ans le premier premier ministre libéral des Pays-Bas depuis 1918. >>> Par Thomas Vampouille | Jeudi 10 Juin 2010

NZZ ONLINE: Viele Sieger und keine Klärung in den Niederlanden: Der Populist Wilders stellt ein Ultimatum – Bei den niederländischen Parlamentswahlen haben die Liberalen am meisten Sitze errungen. Geert Wilders Freiheitspartei erhielt den stärksten Zuwachs. Die politische Landschaft ist allerdings stärker zersplittert als zuvor. >>> Peter Winkler, Den Haag | Donnerstag, 10. Juni 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Geert Wilders could be kingmaker in Dutch parliament after coming third: Geert Wilders, the controversial anti-Islamic Dutch politician, came third behind tied Liberal and Labour parties after elections in the Netherlands left no obvious winner or combination for a coalition government. >>> Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | Wednesday, June 09, 2010

«Ob andere uns glauben, spielt keine Rolle» : Islamkritiker Geert Wilders über Freiheit und westliche Werte
NZZ ONLINE: Die niederländischen Lokalwahlen werden als Gradmesser für die Popularität des Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders und von dessen Partei für die Freiheit (PVV) betrachtet. Der Brüsseler NZZ-Korrespondent Peter Winkler hat mit Wilders gesprochen. Zum Interview >>> Interview: win. | Mittwoch, 03. März 2010

ZEIT ONLINE: Wilders triumphiert, Balkenende tritt zurück: Bei der Parlamentswahl in den Niederlanden liegen die Rechtsliberalen knapp vor den Sozialdemokraten. Die Partei des Rechtspopulisten Geert Wilders will mitregieren. >>> Zeit Online, Reuters, AFP, dpa | Donnerstag, 10. Juni 2010

The Netherlands Shifts to the Right
NRC HANDELSBLAD INTERNATIONAL: The right-wing liberal VVD and populist PVV were the big winners of Wednesday's parliamentary election in the Netherlands. Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende was ousted after eight years in power.

After a neck-and-neck contest with the Labour party, the VVD emerged victorious, garnering 31 of 150 seats in parliament, with 98 percent of the votes counted. "It looks like, for the first time in history, the VVD will be the biggest party in the Netherlands," VVD leader Mark Rutte told supporters Thursday morning, when preliminary results showed Labour would be left with 30 seats. The right-wing liberals may have shaken the social democrats, led by former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen, but never has the biggest party in parliament occupied so few seats, and never was the margin seperating it from the runner-up so slim.

Geert Wilders' PVV won the most in the election. Wilders, who is internationally known for his unequivocal criticism of Islam, went from 9 to 24 seats in parliament. While he ran a muted campaign and polls predicted he would barely double his seats, Wilders proved especially popular in the south-east of the country. His growing following there is part of the reason the Christian democratic party of incumbent prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende was halved at the polls. The CDA lost 20 of its 41 seats and will now be the fourth party in Dutch parliament. >>> News Staff, NRC Handelsblad | Thursday, June 10, 2010

Dutch Election: Liberals Take One-seat Lead as Far-right Party Grows in Influence
THE TELEGRAPH: The Liberals have won a narrow one-seat lead in the Dutch election, putting them in pole position to form a coalition.

Right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders. Photograph: The Telegraph
With 88 per cent of the votes counted, published partial results showed the Liberals with 31 and Labour on 30.

But the real victory went to Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV), which demands an end to immigration from Muslim countries and a ban on new mosques. The PVV took its number of seats from nine in the last parliament to 24, and could hope to enter a coalition government.

The far-right leader with his distinctive shock of fair hair called the result "magnificent".

"The impossible has happened," he told a televised party gathering. "We are the biggest winner today. The Netherlands chose more security, less crime, less immigration and less Islam."

The election ousted Christian Democrat Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende from eight years in office.

The Liberals' narrow lead gives leader Mark Rutte a mandate to form a coalition and become prime minister, but sticking to his austerity policies could prove tough because he needs at least three other parties to secure a parliamentary majority. >>> | Thursday, June 10, 2010

VVD Leader [Mark Rutte] Wants Wider Freedom of Speech
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Mark Rutte, the leader of the conservative VVD, says Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende must take the initiative to safeguard full freedom of speech in the Netherlands. In an interview with De Telegraaf, Mr Rutte said everybody should be able to speak their minds, as long as they do not incite to violence against persons or their possessions.

The conservative leader said other possible limitations on freedom of speech, such as blasphemy, should be removed. Mr Rutte said he would himself [take] submit a bill to substantially widen freedom of speech should the prime minister fail to do so.

Mr Rutte's statements were prompted by a ruling of an Amsterdam court, which decided that Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders must be prosecuted for incitement to hatred and discrimination. The VVD leader said it was ridiculous that Mr Wilders should stand trial because of his ideas on Islam. [Source: RNW] | Sunday, January 25, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>