A ban on the burqa and dual nationality are no longer priorities for caretaker home affairs minister Liesbeth Spies, she told the Volkskrant in an interview on Wednesday.

Spies, who is campaigning for the Christian Democratic party leadership, said: ‘Parliament wants to bin the dual nationality plans. And I would not shed a tear if that happened to the burqa ban either’.
The coalition alliance collapsed last month when Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam PVV, pulled out after disagreeing with austerity measures. The dual nationality and burqa bans were PVV policies.
Great importance
Until now Spies has defended the policies, describing the proposed ban on the face-covering Islamic government as ‘of very great importance’ to ensure open communication. She also rejected criticism of the dual nationality proposals from the Council of State, the government’s most senior advisory body.
‘In politics, sometimes you have to damage your own standpoints because of opposing interests,’ she told the Volkskrant.
Spies is one of four candidates for the CDA top job.
Last week, immigration minister Gerd Leers said he would no longer promote PVV causes within Europe. This means an end to campaigning for a higher age limit and income requirement in family reunion cases.