Wilders stays quiet on policy details in rare Dutch television interview

PVV leader Geert Wilders has again refused to give details of how he would put his party’s election pledges into practice if he becomes part of the next coalition government.

The PVV has been criticised for publishing a one page manifesto and refusing to allow the CPB macro-economic think-tank to analyse the party’s economic policies, as most parties do ahead of the election.

In an rare television interview on Sunday, Wilders said the manifesto could have been published on the back of a stamp. ‘This is our vision and these are the main strands.’

‘I am not going to promise voters anything apart from this. We will make the Netherlands ours again, we will close the borders and all that money we send abroad – to Africa, to Brussels, to Greece, to asylum seekers in the Netherlands.’

Coalition

Wilders also reiterated earlier statements that other political parties will not be able to avoid forming a government with him after the March 15 vote. ‘You can’t just ignore 2.5 million people,’ Wilders said. ‘They just won’t do that.’

Almost every political party has ruled out working together with Wilders. Prime minister Mark Rutte even reactivated his dormant Twitter account on Sunday to stress that there is ‘zero chance’ the VVD will form a coalition with the PVV.

The next coalition government is likely to require four parties to be assured of an overall majority.

Nazism

The PVV won 15 seats at the 2012 general election and is currently leading in the opinion polls. On Sunday, the latest poll of polls, an amalgam of five separate opinion polls, suggests the PVV has the support of 18% of voters and would win between 25 and 31 seats in the 150 seat lower house of parliament.

During the interview, Wilders also said Islam is ‘possibly worse than Nazism’ and likened mosques to ‘Nazi temples’.

However, despite calling repeatedly for the Koran to be banned, Wilders said he would turn a blind eye if people continues to keep copies. ‘We’re not going to go take the Koran out of people’s homes. Of course not,’ Wilders said.

Wilders is rarely interviewed on Dutch television but has given a string of interviews to foreign media in recent days.