Whatever its final composition, however, the new government will claim a mandate for the policies and outlook that brought Fortuyn to prominence: hostility to immigrants, Islamophobia, law-and-order demagogy—all overlain with a veneer of liberal tolerance on questions of drugs and sexuality.
The election took place in an atmosphere of extreme political tension following the murder of Fortuyn, with many press reports emphasising social and political conditions peculiar to the Netherlands. While internal trends played a critical role, the election result in the Netherlands is in line with a more general European pattern of development. Over the past several years, social democratic-led coalitions have been defeated by right-wing parties in national elections in Austria, Italy, Portugal and, most recently, France.
For eight years the Kok government was promoted as a model of modern social democratic “reform” politics. His so-called Polder system was praised as the standard for “job creation” and economic growth. In fact, the social and political balance sheet of the outgoing government is devastating.
The election took place in an atmosphere of extreme political tension following the murder of Fortuyn, with many press reports emphasising social and political conditions peculiar to the Netherlands. While internal trends played a critical role, the election result in the Netherlands is in line with a more general European pattern of development. Over the past several years, social democratic-led coalitions have been defeated by right-wing parties in national elections in Austria, Italy, Portugal and, most recently, France.
For eight years the Kok government was promoted as a model of modern social democratic “reform” politics. His so-called Polder system was praised as the standard for “job creation” and economic growth. In fact, the social and political balance sheet of the outgoing government is devastating.