Geert Wilders in conversation with residents in Kijkduin. Image ANP
Less than a week after the PVV’s election win, Geert Wilders is welcomed as a hero on a square near the NH Hotel in Kijkduin. They sing ‘We love you Wilders, we do’ and ‘Geertje! Geertje Geertje!’. Wilders takes selfies, says he finds it scandalous that this coastal district, like ‘ten, twenty, thirty’ other villages, is ‘overrun’ by asylum seekers. “I come to support these people. The closer to an asylum stop, the better.”
Since last weekend, a hundred asylum seekers have been accommodated in the hotel, which may increase to 120. “These people have a hotel room, a large television, free food, heating, a swimming pool,” says Wilders.
In the café, concerned local residents are updated by officials and The Hague mayor Jan van Zanen. Many residents were particularly surprised by the sudden announcement – a letter arrived on Saturday, the buses arrived a day later – and fear for safety and quality of life. “They were suddenly here at three o’clock on Sunday,” a woman says to the PVV leader. “You grant people a place, but so suddenly without consultation, that’s not possible, is it?”
Relieve Ter Apel
It is not known whether the asylum seekers experience any nuisance, but residents mainly feel ignored. “The emergency shelter will last until mid-January at the latest. It was necessary, otherwise Ter Apel would be flooded and asylum seekers would have to sleep there on the grass,” says Mayor Van Zanen.
He can hardly hide the grumpiness that his municipality now has to solve a national political problem – the distribution of asylum seekers. “We want to help relieve Ter Apel,” says the mayor. “The situation is very dire. And I’m sorry, but the election results have not solved the problem of people being here. This is a national problem, Mr Wilders is a national politician. Let him help solve this.”
Wilders hopes to be able to tackle immigration as the first agenda item during the formation. This must start soon, if it is up to the PVV leader. “We are going to try to get the asylum influx as close to zero as possible, and we will do our best to do that. So I really hope that we can sit around the table.”
Potential coalition members surprised
In the House of Representatives, party leaders of potential coalition members react with some surprise to Wilders’ action. NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt thinks it is ‘special’, BBB leader Van der Plas says that she ‘would not have done it at this stage’. However, Wilders himself believes that this statement is perfectly in line with his role as leader of the largest party. “I supported those people before the elections and I want to show that this is still the case after the elections.”
In his party program, Wilders talks about an asylum stop and closing the borders, but he says in Kijkduin that he ‘doesn’t promise any mountains of gold’ in that regard. He repeats it a few times. “I can promise that I will do my best.” Does he show in this way that he can be the Prime Minister of all Dutch people, as he promised after Wednesday’s mega victory? “I am one hundred percent,” says Wilders. On the square, his fans clap and cheer: “Nice, he’s the biggest and he’s just here!”
Also read
2023-11-28 21:52:16
#Wilders #welcomed #hero #local #asylum #shelter #residents #coalition #partners #surprised
