DUTCH POPULIST LEADER TAKES AIM AT EU _ AND FLOPS

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_NETHERLANDS_ELECTION_WILDERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-08-31-05-10-07



AMSTERDAM (AP) -- With his mane of platinum-blond hair, Geert Wilders rose to prominence by hammering away at a hardcore anti-Islam message. Now, as the Netherlands heads into elections with economic crisis raging across the continent, Wilders has taken aim at a different target: the European Union.

But this time, the populist firebrand's attempt to ride a wave of voter anger appears to be foundering.

Wilders has tried to revive his Freedom Party's fortunes on promises to ditch the euro and ignore European budgetary rules ahead of the Sept. 12 election.

"Do we want to be the boss over our own money or do we want to be slaves to Brussels?" he told voters in the campaign's first major televised debate. Wilders said his Freedom Party wants "us to be in charge of our own country again."

His vision seems unlikely to become reality anytime soon. Freedom is lagging in the polls and centrist Dutch parties flatly reject his financial plans as too radical.