Local Elections 2010

Wilders again under fire in tv election debate

Geert Wilders' anti-Islam party PVV again came under fire from other party leaders in Monday night's final televised debate ahead of Wednesday's local elections.

Socialist Party leader Agnes Kant launched a stinging attack on Wilders for failing to come up with solutions and singling out scapegoats. 'History shows us this is extremely dangerous,' Kant said.

Wilders speaks in terms of symbolic solutions and sees everything in terms of black and white, said Alexander Pechtold, leader of the Liberal democrats D66. 'Your politics are a greater threat to the Netherlands than Islam,' he said.

Christian Democrat campaign leader Pieter van Geel said Wilders spent a lot of time talking about non-problems and non-solutions.

Invitations

The debate was organised by tv show EenVandaag at Erasmus University in Rotterdam and it is not clear why Wilders was taking part, given his party is only contesting the local elections in Almere and the Hague. GroenLinks, which is taking part in the local elections nationwide was not invited.

During the debate, Wilders again reiterated earlier statements that Islam is a dangerous and dominant ideology and called for a ban on immigration from Muslim countries.

Labour party leader Wouter Bos, taking part in his first public debate since stepping out of government, refused to join in the personalised attacks on Wilders. But he said he would not think in terms of Muslims and non-Muslims. It is about the freedom of all Dutch people, he said.

Around one third of an internet panel of over 5,300 viewers said the PVV leader was the clear winner of the debate. Bos was second and Pechtold third.

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