Wilders withdraws his draft anti-Islam, anti-dual national laws

PVV leader Geert Wilders has withdrawn three pieces of draft legislation he had submitted to parliament well before the November general election in what commentators say is an effort to show he will put controversial plans on ice, as promised.

All three proposals were earlier slammed by the Raad van State, the government’s highest advisory body which assesses all draft legislation, and which were seen as obstacles to the formation of a right-wing government involving the PVV.

In particular, Wilders has withdrawn draft legislation to ban “expressions of Islam”, including a ban on the Koran and Islamic schools which had been gathering dust for months because of a lack of parliamentary support.

Plans to lock up “potential” jihadis in what Wilders called “administrative detention”, and to to remove voting rights from dual nationals and stop dual nationals from holding political office have also been put on ice.

Wilders had earlier sounded off about having two dual nationals in the cabinet – justice minister Dilan Yesilgöz (Dutch and Turkish) and defence minister Kajsa Ollongren (Dutch and Swedish).

Wilders had pledged to withdraw some of his more controversial plans to counteract criticism from potential coalition partners, who say the draft legislation conflicts with the constitution.

Talks on forming a new cabinet between Wilders, Yesilgöz, Pieter Omtzigt (NSC) and Caroline van der Plas (BBB) resume on Tuesday.