Thatcher Got It Right On EU, Says Maverick Urging Dutch To Vote No

If Geert Wilders was a rock star, his arrival would seem slightly over the top. As he steps into the square from his coach, fitted with darkened, bullet-proof windows and with VIP emblazoned on the side, he acknowledges the cheers.

"You're the best," shouts Monique Feenstra, the owner of a Hilversum coffee shop. Her hero, dressed all in white except for a lime green tie, uses one hand to sweep back his bottle-blond hair, and the other to sign an autograph. "He's beautiful," coos Maria Geijsen, a pensioner.

The perma-tanned Mr Wilders is not a lead singer, however, but a maverick Right-wing MP who fronts his own party, Groep Wilders. His populist campaign will be a key factor if, as the opinion polls predict, the Dutch No camp that he supports wins Wednesday's referendum on the European Union constitution.

Mr Wilders, 42, spent eight months sleeping in a cell in a high-security prison after receiving death threats from Islamist groups before emerging for his No bus tour across the Netherlands. For security reasons, his stops are unannounced.

In opposing the constitution, Mr Wilders finds himself in an uneasy alliance with much of the Dutch Left, which sees it as undermining Holland's social model and traditional liberalism.

Both ends of the spectrum are feeding off a growing distrust of mainstream politicians and resentment over a lack of consultation on Europe. Mr Wilders's message about the evils of immigration and the loss of sovereignty to a European superstate is, he said inspired by Margaret Thatcher. "She rejected Europe very strongly and as a result today, because we were weak, the Dutch are paying Brussels what the British should pay. British people know their history and are sceptical about Europe. They are very wise and we can learn from them," he said.

Michael Howard, he believes, should have been bolder in the general election. "On immigration, the Conservatives should have played the card a bit stronger and earlier." It was in Hilversum, an affluent town 30 miles from Amsterdam, that the politician Pim Fortuyn, whose views Mr Wilders echoes, was killed three years ago.

Since then, immigration has been at the heart of political debate and Mr Wilders has made it the centrepiece of his campaign. With 1.7 million immigrants among a population of 16 million, Holland has the highest concentration of Muslims in the EU.

"I am not a xenophobe at all but I want to preserve our culture," he said. "Islam and democracy will never be compatible in the next thousand years." We should forget about a moderate Islam and instead invest in Muslim people and integrate them into our democracy. We have been too tolerant of intolerance.

"Immigration of non-Westerners should cease for the next five years. If you look at the lists of domestic violence, dependence on social schemes and crime, they are in the top three of all."

Miss Feenstra, 40, agreed. "Moroccans and Turks come over here, they don't work, don't speak Dutch and we pay for everything."

The despairing Yes campaign, according to the latest opinion poll, is trailing by 14 points at 43 per cent. Despite having the support of the government, main opposition parties, the unions and most of the media, the public is not responding to its entreaties.

"The government is running a very bad campaign," said Jan Paternotte, the chairman of Holland's Young Democrats and leader of a Yes team which is trailing Mr Wilders around the country in an attempt to reduce his impact.

"Every day, the prime minister or some senior minister says something stupid, like if it's No there will be another referendum next year to get the right answer." As he accepted a gift of his favourite Gouda from Bert van Vliet, the owner of a cheese shop, a confident Mr Wilders said that the murder of Mr Fortuyn had made it easier to break political correctness taboos on issues such as immigration.

"The Dutch are fed up with being ignored," he said. "There is a huge gap between the political elite and the vox populi. People want to listen to me, get a signature, a picture and discuss why they should vote against this. I feel very happy."

All the whole EU Constitution is about, is to cede power to France and Germany and their Socialist policies. It looks like this deal will be voted down. There may be hope for "Old Europe" yet :-)

2 posted on 05/28/2005 9:08:01 PM PDT by MJY1288 ( By Comparison...."Dingy" Harry Reid makes Tom Daschle look like a Statesman)

"Islam and democracy will never be compatible in the next thousand years."

I'll try and tell this to some of my "liberal" "friends" and relatives and try to get them to believe it. They won't until an Islamofascist is at their door with a sword for their heads.

I hope this guy is wearing a bullet proof vest and has a lot of bodyguards.

He does, or certainly did and I bet he's still well protected like the female Somali MP who worked with the late Theo van Gogh.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1366672,00.html

His party is called "Groep Wilders"? Sign me up!

5 posted on 05/28/2005 9:34:47 PM PDT by thoughtomator (The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government)

This is an OH DUH...Maggie is one of my heros...she too has the greatness as Reagan did....I always have loved her brilliant straight forward thinking...that's a true Brit...so much has changed from the once clear thinking of the Brits of old...

6 posted on 05/28/2005 9:45:29 PM PDT by shield (The Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God!!!! by Dr. H. Ross, Astrophysicist)

"It looks like this deal will be voted down. There may be hope for "Old Europe" yet :-)"

They'll just keep having the vote until it's passed. Just watch.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.