For four months, The Netherlands has had a hung parliament, and it looks like things will finally be sorted out. Well, in political "stability" terms anyway.
(May I proudly point out that it took Australia only 4 weeks at best to sort their government out, post election. Well done, Australia.)
It was announced yesterday that a government will be formed and the anti-Islam party, PVV, will be part of the coalition government.
Headed up by Geert Wilders, PVV's main objectives are to ban burqa head scarves in public/municipal buildings, reign in immigration to 50% reduction in non-western immigrants, raise the difficulty on "integration tests" and basically, spread hate for muslims and middle eastern people in the Netherlands. It is claimed they will only have a "shadow" role in the government.
Besides, having bleach job that would make Vidal Sassoon turn in his grave ( hiding some dark roots to look more Arian perhaps?), Geert Wilders was a key guest speaker at the rally at Ground Zero against the Islamic community centre near the premises (which was mislabelled a mosque by the media) and is also, as I type, on trial for inciting hate in dutch society.
What about 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on generation dutch who have morrocan, or turkish ancestors? Well, Geert says, "what about them?" They apparently do not fit into the vision for what it means to be dutch, besides speaking the language fluently and paying taxes etc etc.
The Stories:
Christian Democrats are unanimous in support for alliance with PVV
Tuesday 05 October 2010
Two dissident Christian Democrat MPs have finally voted in favour of their party forming a new governing alliance which will involve the anti-Islam PVV.
The unanimous decision from the 21 CDA MPs means the next stage in the coalition formation process - the appointment of ministers - can now be taken.
On Monday night, acting party leader Maxime Verhagen told reporters 'there are no dissidents any more', leading commentators to speculate that a behind the scenes deal had been done.
Pressure
The two, Kathleen Ferrier and Ad Koppejan, had come under considerable pressure to fall into line. They were known to feel supported by the result of Saturday's CDA ratification conference at which 32% of delegates voted against the tie up with the PVV.
Verhagen said after Tuesday's meeting that the entire group of 21 MPs will take into account the fact that there is sizeable opposition to the alliance within the party.
'We will be critical of the effects of the coalition agreements,' Verhagen told the assembled press, 'and keep a close eye on CDA principles.'
The two dissidents will also be able to opt out of voting in favour of particular policies they oppose, he said.
Without their support, the proposed right-wing coalition would only be able to count on 74 of the 150 seats in parliament. This would have forced cabinet negotiator Ivo Opstelten to tell the queen he has not been able to form a stable coalition.
More to follow
© DutchNews.nl
Freedom and responsibility is right-wing government slogan
Thursday 30 September 2010
The three parties on the verge of forming a new coalition government unveiled their coalition agreement on Thursday, under the motto 'freedom and responsibility'.
The aim of the agreement is to give the Netherlands back to the hardworking Dutchman, VVD leader and prime ministerial hopeful Mark Rutte said.
The pact is the result of two months of negotiations between the Christian Democrats, right-wing VVD and anti-Islam PVV. The PVV will support the VVD and CDA on a number of issues but will not have ministers and is not officially part of the government.
The agreement includes a ban on the burqa, the introduction of 'animal cops' and a reduction in the minimum wage
'This agreement's approach should lead to a... 50% reduction in the inflow non-western immigrants,' PVV leader Geert Wilders said.
Christian Democrat MPs are still divided on whether or not to support the coalition agreement.
After 15 hours of discussion on Wednesday, the 21 members of parliament have decided to leave the decision up to Saturday’s congress. At least two MPs are known to oppose an alliance with Gert Wilders' party
The main measures in the coalition accord
Economy and taxes
Aid budget to be cut from 0.8% of GDP to 0.7%
Energy bill surcharge to pay for subsidies for wind and solar power projects
Corporate clustering to be encouraged such as Greenport Venlo and Maintenance Valley projects
Public private partnerships to be encouraged for infrastructure
Childcare and healthcare subsidies to be cut
Immigration and asylum:
Immigrants to pay for their own integration courses
Ban on the burqa and other face-covering garments
Headscarf ban for police and justice ministry officials
Integration tests to be made more difficult
List of dangerous countries for automatic refugee status to be scrapped
Work and social security
Benefit cuts for people whose clothing or behaviour stops them finding work
Minimum wage and basic welfare benefits to be reduced
Pension age to rise from 65 to 66 by 2020
No change to unemployment benefit
No change to redundancy laws
Law and order
2,500 new police officers to be appointed
500 new animal police officers
Minimum sentences for serious crimes
Tougher sentences for attacking emergency service workers
Stop and search policy to be extended
Defence and foreign policy
Further investment in ties with Israel
Nato missions to be paid for from aid budget
€1bn to be cut from European Union bill
Second test JSF fighter jet will be bought
Other measures
Parents to be made (financially) responsible for making sure their children speak Dutch properly
€500m for new roads
Spending on arts and culture to be cut
€1bn more for spending on the elderly
Prostitution age to be raised to 21
Spending on public broadcasting to be cut by €200m - one tv channel may go
Cannabis cafes will become members-only clubs with a pass system
No change to Sunday trading laws - currently 12 a year
The smoking ban in cafes and bars smaller than 70m2 will be lifted
Speed limit on some motorways increased to 130 kph.
Student grants to be reduced from four to three years
Applications to build new nuclear power stations to be welcomed
Government
Savings on civil service to generate savings of €6.6bn a year
The new cabinet will have 12 full and eight junior ministers, split between the CDA and VVD
Economic affairs and agriculture combined into a single ministry
The number of MPs and senators will be reduced to 100 and 50 respectively
Local government layers will be reduced
There is hope:
I saw this picture in "The Metro" newspaper this morning (free public transport rag) and I was both relieved, and moved to see it. It translates to "No hate".
The caption states: "For the building with the two rooms in The Hague ( parliament house). there is a man with a paper that states "No hate". He wants CDA party members Kathleen Ferrier en Ad Koppejan to sincerely oppose a cooperation with the PVV party."
I think the dutch should remember what it was like for their country and citizens in World War 2. Do they recall their ancestors being persecuted because of being a minority in their race, ethnicity or religion?
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