I was just double-checking my facts. Pim Fortuyn, the founder of Wilders’ party, endorsed same-sex marriage, abortion on demand, euthanasia, Netherlands’ cheap-and-legal drug policies, and socialistic income redistribution. He was opposed to mainstream socialists chiefly in that he favored the establishment of localized government institutions, as opposed to nationalized ones. Apparently Wilders has led the party to being much more free-market.
Ohh.
Fortuyn led his own one man party.
“A one-time communist and former member of the social-democratic Dutch Labour Party, on 26 November 2001 he was elected by a large majority as “lijsttrekker” of the newly formed Livable Netherlands party to participate in the Dutch general election of 2002”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pim_Fortuyn#Political_career
He was I guess economically a leftist, whilst a libertarian on social issues (which obviously tied into his distaste for islamm)
Wilders on the other hand came from Rutte’s pro-market VVD party:
“However, his appointment in 2002 as a public spokesman for the VVD led Wilders to become more well known for his outspoken criticism of Islamic extremism. Tensions immediately developed within the party, as Wilders found himself to be to the right of most members, and challenged the party line in his public statements.[12] In September 2004, Wilders left the VVD, having been a member since 1989, to form his own political party, Groep Wilders, later renamed the Party for Freedom”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Wilders#Political_career
I guess the two things both men have in common is breaking out of their previous political associations in order to form their own parties with a focus on figting (radical) islam.
Cheers.
Come to think of it...
It really sounds like you are mixing up the two men. Your description would have fitted Fortuyn very well - being a gay former communist.
The VVD is more pro-free market than Wilders, who is a populist. In Europe “liberal” means pro-business but there are two branches: 1) Classical and conservative liberals. 2) Social liberals, including british left-wing Liberal Democrats.
Sometimes those two branches compete against each other inside the same party, like German FDP.
Liberal parties (left or right-wing) are usually progressives or moderates on moral issues.