PVV votes against Dutch candidate for European job
Friday 27 January 2012
Labour supporter and diplomat Frans Timmermans failed to win enough support to become the Council of Europe's new human rights commissioner on Thursday after the anti-Islam PVV voted against him.
American-born Latvian Niels Muižnieks received 120 votes in the assembly with Timmermans taking 92 and Pierre-Yves Monette of Belgium on 27. The one-vote absolute majority for Muižnieks meant there was no need for a second ballot.
The PVV was against Timmermans getting the job because he has criticised the party in the past. The party had already vetoed his appointment to a top job in Limburg.
Logical
'If we have to choose between people and don't have much faith in one of them, then it is logical we don't support that person,' party leader Geert Wilders told television current affairs show Nieuwsuur.
Muižnieks has earlier criticised the PVV for using 'racist and xenophobic language.'
PVV senator Peter van Dijk said he was not aware of Muiznieks' position when he cast his vote and all that mattered was 'not voting for Timmermans'. Van Dijk declined to say which of the three candidates he voted for.
© DutchNews.nl
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