Dutch government urged to condemn far-right website

MEPs call on Dutch prime minister to speak out against website set up by Freedom Party.

MEPs today called on the Dutch government to condemn a website that encourages people to complain about migrant workers from central and eastern Europe.

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The European Parliament passed a resolution urging Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, to “condemn and distance himself” from the website set up by the far-right Freedom Party (PVV). Rutte has so far refused to criticise the website, saying it is not an official government site.

Martin Schulz, the president of the Parliament, said the PVV website “goes against the fundamental European values of human dignity, freedom, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights”.

Hannes Swoboda, the leader of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, urged the Dutch government to shut down the site, adding that Rutte’s “non-reaction is unacceptable”. Joseph Daul, leader of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) group, called the website “deplorable”.

MEPs called on the European Commission and the Council of Ministers to step up their efforts to fight “the spread of xenophobic attitudes” and to make sure that the EU’s guidelines on fighting racism and xenophobia are properly enforced.

Geert Wilders, the leader of the PVV, criticised the Parliament’s resolution, saying it “should be put directly into a shredder”.

Rutte, in a letter sent to the Dutch parliament, said it was up to a judge to decide whether the website violated Dutch and EU anti-discrimination rules.

Rutte, who is leader of the liberals (VVD), heads a coalition government with the centre-right Christian Democrats. The coalition does not command a majority in the Dutch parliament but is supported from the opposition benches by the PVV.