PVV and the European Elections

Searchlight - June 2009

The far-right populist and euro-sceptic Freedom Party (PVV) from Islambasher Geert Wilders will contest the European elections. Frontman of their campaign is Barry Madlener, one of the few Fortuynists in the PVV and former councilor for Livable Rotterdam, the party that won 17 seats out of nothing in 2002, headed by the late Pim Fortuyn.

Before the campaign kicked of it was first the rounding up of the tour Geert Wilders was undertaking to show his video-clip Fitna in several countries. In February he was welcomed by the conservative Republican senator Jon Kyl from Arizona, who the left before watching Fitna and hearing Wilders speech on the Capitol. Wilders was also there to give interviews and for fundraising for his expensive lawyer in the Netherlands, to prepare his defense in the case of his anti-Muslim remarks and inciting hatred.

Danish conservatives and the ultra-right Danish People's Party (DVP), the latter supporting the minority coalition of prime minister Lars Rasmussen, demand that Wilders must be invited on a government conference about religious extremism. A French human rights organisation asks for the prosecution of Wilders who speeched in New York last year 'that many areas in France are no-go areas for women without a head scarf'. Lega Nord MEP Mario Borghezio requested Wilders Fitna to be shown in the EP in Brussels, but it is met with a ban, just as in December in Strasbourg. Borghezio tried to show late Theo van Goghs clip 'Submission' in the EP in 2005, but also didn't succeed.

The views of Madlener don't differ much from what is already known about the PVV. The PVV wants to abandon the European Union and will do that 'from within'. Turkey is never too see a membership of the European Union, 'not in a thousand year', according to Madlener. 'The Turkish culture is an Islamic culture and incompatible with our western culture'. Slogan is 'We go for the Netherlands' and defend the Dutch interests in the EP. Only thing the EU should do is economic cooperation, not anything more. Madlener and Wilders already said that they won't join the fractions with Flemish VB en the French Front National, and also not the Liberal Alliance. Wilders himself is number 10 on the list, but won't take a seat if he is chosen. The list, consisting out of former police-man, former assistants of the PVV in parliament, a media freelancer, a columnist and a civil servant form the ministry of Foreign Affairs, expect to win 4 seats. Polls suggest 3 seats.

In 2010 the PVV wants to participate in local elections in Rotterdam, The Hague, Den Helder and Venlo. In the same year the sequel of Fitna will be launched; Wilders claims to have help from people from New York and Hollywood ('whose movies were screened in cinemas in the Netherlands') and will meet with them in Florida. In 2011 there will be new elections for parliament; at this moment the PVV polls 32 seats, making them the biggest party.

Jeroen Bosch for Alert! and Antifa-Net