Opposition grows among Christian Democrats

Monday 23 August 2010

With cabinet negotiations entering their third week, a weekend poll shows that 39% of Christian Democrat party members are against any form of political cooperation with Geert Wilders' anti-Islam PVV.

Negotiations are continuing this week to form a minority right-wing government of Christian Democrats and Liberal VVD with Wilders' party providing support on certain policies in parliament in return for getting some of his immigration policies accepted.

The poll, carried out by TNS Nipo for the Algemeen Dagblad, also shows that 13% of the 67,000 party members would give up their membership if Wilders is involved in a new right-wing government.

Fewer than half the members, 49%, are in favour of a right-wing government with the involvement of Wilders.

In a reaction to the poll, the prominent Liberal Hans Wiegel told the paper on Monday that history is repeating itself. He was referring to the Christian Democrat-Liberal VVD government of 1977 under prime minister Dries van Agt. 'In my time too there was a lot of opposition to our joining a right-wing cabinet,' he said.

That government took six months of negotiations to form and lasted until 1981. It was, however, a majority government.

© DutchNews.nl

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