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PM vows defence of Dutch values on campaign trail

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Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte hit the campaign trail Saturday vowing to defend Dutch values as he seeks to drain support from his far-right rival Geert Wilders amid a polarising debate over immigration.

"The VVD makes the best coffee," Rutte sang out, as he gathered people around a food truck handing out hot drinks to talk politics and promote his Liberal party's policies.

After six years in power at the head of two coalition governments, Rutte is fending off a biting challenge from Dutch anti-Islam MP Wilders in the March 15 elections.

His party is running neck-and-neck with Wilders's Freedom Party (PVV) in the race for control of the 150-seat lower house of parliament.

After Brexit and Donald Trump's election victory in the United States, the Dutch polls are seen as a litmus test of the rise of populism ahead of other European elections this year, notably in France and Germany.

Dressed in jeans and a blue weatherproof jacket against the penetrating cold drizzle, Rutte patiently answered questions from curious shoppers in the tiny left-leaning central town of Wormerveer.

He posed for selfies, shook hands with young and old and even helped a woman load her shopping into the trunk of her car.

Some 28 parties are running in the elections. And amid the country's fractured political landscape, all eyes are on who will emerge in pole position to form the next coalition -- which analysts predict could include up to five parties.

- 'Very unstable times' -

"We are living in very unstable and insecure times. My main task as prime minister is to keep this country safe and stable," Rutte told AFP, among a small knot of journalists.

"That means that we have to reorganise the European Union, make NATO work better for all of us, invest in our defence."

But amid a polarising debate over immigration, he also argued that the country's 17 million people wanted to see The Netherlands defend its values.

"For example on immigration, for refugees we will always have a warm welcome, but not too many please. We have to keep the numbers limited," he said.

There would always be a place for those fleeing war "but we have to be very clear about what kind of country we are."

Wilders has vowed to close Dutch borders to Muslim refugees, to ban sales of the Koran and to close mosques -- a message which has found favour with a growing number of voters on the back of Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War II.

In recent weeks, taking a line from Wilders, Rutte has toughened his tone on immigrants, urging all citizens to integrate and adapt to Dutch values or leave.

The latest aggregate polling survey showed Wilders's Freedom Party would garner 24 to 28 seats with Rutte's VVD set to capture between 23 to 27 seats.

But forming a government after the elections could prove tricky as many of the parties have refused to work with Wilders.

- 'Tense moment' -

"The distance between the government and people .. with weak social background is enormous," said retired businessman Wim Verhoeven, 70, adding that the elections were a "tense moment" in the country's history.

There is "a lot of polarisation," he told AFP, warning "we can look back in history and we can see the same developments."

Wilders had been due to campaign in his nearby stronghold of Volendam on Saturday, but was forced to cancel amid security fears.

His views have seen Wilders receive death threats including from the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, and he is guarded at all times.

Immigration was also an important issue for Selma van Kleef, 57, who with her daughter Sara, 28, also quizzed Rutte about health care, especially for her elderly parents.

She admitted she still remained on the fence, but acknowledged she was concerned about Wilders's rising popularity. "He splits the people," she said.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte hit the campaign trail Saturday vowing to defend Dutch values as he seeks to drain support from his far-right rival Geert Wilders amid a polarising debate over immigration.

“The VVD makes the best coffee,” Rutte sang out, as he gathered people around a food truck handing out hot drinks to talk politics and promote his Liberal party’s policies.

After six years in power at the head of two coalition governments, Rutte is fending off a biting challenge from Dutch anti-Islam MP Wilders in the March 15 elections.

His party is running neck-and-neck with Wilders’s Freedom Party (PVV) in the race for control of the 150-seat lower house of parliament.

After Brexit and Donald Trump’s election victory in the United States, the Dutch polls are seen as a litmus test of the rise of populism ahead of other European elections this year, notably in France and Germany.

Dressed in jeans and a blue weatherproof jacket against the penetrating cold drizzle, Rutte patiently answered questions from curious shoppers in the tiny left-leaning central town of Wormerveer.

He posed for selfies, shook hands with young and old and even helped a woman load her shopping into the trunk of her car.

Some 28 parties are running in the elections. And amid the country’s fractured political landscape, all eyes are on who will emerge in pole position to form the next coalition — which analysts predict could include up to five parties.

– ‘Very unstable times’ –

“We are living in very unstable and insecure times. My main task as prime minister is to keep this country safe and stable,” Rutte told AFP, among a small knot of journalists.

“That means that we have to reorganise the European Union, make NATO work better for all of us, invest in our defence.”

But amid a polarising debate over immigration, he also argued that the country’s 17 million people wanted to see The Netherlands defend its values.

“For example on immigration, for refugees we will always have a warm welcome, but not too many please. We have to keep the numbers limited,” he said.

There would always be a place for those fleeing war “but we have to be very clear about what kind of country we are.”

Wilders has vowed to close Dutch borders to Muslim refugees, to ban sales of the Koran and to close mosques — a message which has found favour with a growing number of voters on the back of Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.

In recent weeks, taking a line from Wilders, Rutte has toughened his tone on immigrants, urging all citizens to integrate and adapt to Dutch values or leave.

The latest aggregate polling survey showed Wilders’s Freedom Party would garner 24 to 28 seats with Rutte’s VVD set to capture between 23 to 27 seats.

But forming a government after the elections could prove tricky as many of the parties have refused to work with Wilders.

– ‘Tense moment’ –

“The distance between the government and people .. with weak social background is enormous,” said retired businessman Wim Verhoeven, 70, adding that the elections were a “tense moment” in the country’s history.

There is “a lot of polarisation,” he told AFP, warning “we can look back in history and we can see the same developments.”

Wilders had been due to campaign in his nearby stronghold of Volendam on Saturday, but was forced to cancel amid security fears.

His views have seen Wilders receive death threats including from the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, and he is guarded at all times.

Immigration was also an important issue for Selma van Kleef, 57, who with her daughter Sara, 28, also quizzed Rutte about health care, especially for her elderly parents.

She admitted she still remained on the fence, but acknowledged she was concerned about Wilders’s rising popularity. “He splits the people,” she said.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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