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Dutch ambassador to Denmark apologises for anti-PVV tweet

January 17, 2017

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The Dutch ambassador to Denmark has apologised for publishing a tweet in which he made derogatory comments about the anti-Islam party PVV.

Ambassador Henk Swarttouw was responding to the news that prime minister Mark Rutte had ruled out his party forming an alliance with the PVV after the March general election. ‘Good news, no more feeding the beast,’ the ambassador, who has nearly 1,200 followers, wrote.

On Tuesday Swarttouw apologised directly to the PVV for his comments, saying ‘I used inappropriate wording in my tweet yesterday. Apologies. Not my intention to engage in election campaign.’

Meanwhile, the PVV has asked foreign affairs minister Bert Koenders what the government plans to do to stop this sort of tweets being sent out in the future. The comment denigrates the millions of Dutch people who support the PVV, he said.

Good news! No more “feeding the beast” https://t.co/VzjlP4wNN9

— Henk Swarttouw (@copenhenken) January 16, 2017

@geertwilderspvv I used inappropriate wording in my tweet yesterday. Apologies. Not my intention to engage in election campaign.

— Henk Swarttouw (@copenhenken) January 17, 2017

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