D66 leader warns of risk of polarisation

Sunday 26 September 2010

D66 leader Alexander Pechtold has warned the three parties on the verge of forming a new cabinet to beware of the risk of polarisation in Dutch society.

The Christian Democrats, right-wing Liberals VVD and anti-Islam PVV are currently finalising their coalition agreement, which will give PVV leader Geert Wilders the right to continue his campaign against Islam.

'Who ever wants to govern with half plus one, can go their own godly way,' Pechtold said, referring to the fact that the right-wing coalition will control 76 of the 150 seats in parliament.

'But when polarisation is coupled with stigmatisation and exclusion, with becoming coarser and harder, all in the name of freedom of speech, then it becomes a different story,' Pechtold said. 'That divides society.'

Crossroads

The Netherlands is at the crossroads, he said. On the one hand, it can opt for polarisation and provocation, on the other for empathy and approachability.

We should be cautious in judging others, the D66 leader said. 'When youths come up with anti-semitic chants, should we always assume the worst?

'Who and what are we actually dealing with?,' he said. 'Is it anti-semitism which needs to be counteracted by using decoy Jews? Or is it youngsters with too much testosterone?'

© DutchNews.nl

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