Europe's political basket cases: Why Belgium and the Netherlands can't form governments

[pampango]

Source: Global Post

The neighborhood politics are a mess. More than three months have passed since this country's elections and there is still no sign of a government. The political deadlock has lasted even longer next door, where a firebrand populist surged in the polls after attacking the beliefs of one of the country’s leading religious minorities.

Predictable scenarios from a Middle East hotspot or Third World basket case? Think again. This is the political reality in two of America’s oldest NATO allies (Belgium and the Netherlands), both prosperous members of the European Union.

The Netherlands, where platinum blond anti-Islam crusader Geert Wilders and his Party of Freedom surged to third place in the polls on a program of rolling back immigration, looks closer to breaking the political stalemate. Since the two center-right parties can’t muster a majority, they will have to rely on support in parliament from Wilders. He is demanding a tough line on immigration in return.

Several senior center-right figures are loath to work with Wilders and have resisted the idea of a coalition dependent on his party, but the party leaderships are coming around to the idea. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has issued guidelines to Dutch embassies around the world to give assurances that the Netherlands is not on the verge of putting Wilders’ program into practice.

Read more: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/benelux/100923/belgium-netherlands-government-politics

[L.Torsalo]

1. I always find it hilarious

how the US media attempts to paint European politics as always in a state of crisis. NL is going through a normal procedure, trying to form a stable government and respect the election outcome.The underlying anti-immigrant feeling comes from the same place Tea-bagger politics come from (under a rock!). I also love the comparison with 3rd world countries (basket case? not too racist?)and Middle East hotspots...what a load of nonsense. Dit is gewoon onzin, mensen.

[d_r]

2. won't anyone show concern for the plight of the beer?

Good lord man, what about the beer? If Belgium splits in to, what are they going to call the North, "Flem?"

[truebrit71]

4. Walloon iirc...

..

[comtec]

10. Nope, it's Flanders, the south is Wallonia

Yes THAT Flanders XD

[pampango]

5. Some surprised that in Europe "the underlying anti-immigrant feeling comes from the same place Tea-

bagger politics come from (under a rock!). Europe's in the same boat that we are! :) The idea that a more progressive society still has to fight Tea-bagger politics is instructive.

Europe will probably have more success keeping the "Tea-bagger politics" from affecting government policy than we will in the US.

[Diclotican]

3. pampango

pampango

After the "election show" of 2000, US are in no position to critize others, when a founding of government take some time. Belgia and the Nederlands might have their share of problems, who wil be adressed, acordning to the laws in Belgia and the Nederlands...

On the other hand, that is the problem with a parlamentic system, where you have to have friends, and suportes to govern. One can schose to govern from a minority position, but that seldom works, and then the next biggest party have to take over and so one. And I doubt that the paritys represented at the Dutch Parlament want to be ruled by a right wing party.. In fact, in Western Europe, most right wing parties are shunned becouse they tend to be somewhat extreme, and therefore all others party want to keep them from power...

But, it wil work out some down the road. And I doubt mr Wilder wil be anymore near the site of power in the future, than he is today.. And the Queen of the Nederlands, and the King of Belgia can allways refuse to accept a Wilder government as their own, and that wil make headlines all over the world... In theory, it is the King or Queen who have the last word, when it came to accepting a government and even tho it have not been used for as long as I know, they can say NO to a government they do not want to be in power..

Diclotican

[Book Lover]

6. Thank you

As always, you are an informed and reasonable voice. Thank you for spending time posting here.

[pampango]

8. I agree about the "election show" of 2000 and didn't mean to criticize, just observe how Europe

deals with the right wing forces that exist in all societies.

"I doubt mr Wilder wil be anymore near the site of power in the future, than he is today". I trust (and hope) that you are right about that.

"in Western Europe, most right wing parties are shunned becouse they tend to be somewhat extreme, and therefore all others party want to keep them from power..." Europe does have much more success at keeping the right wing parties (and their policies) from power than we do in the US.

[Diclotican]

9. pampango

pampango

One of the reasons, many of the right wing parti'es is shunned in most of europe, it is becouse we have expereienced their sytem before.. US is a young nation, with less experience than most europans have under their belt, when it come to extreme policies, and that is maybe one of the reasons, parties like mr Wilder is representant for, wil go into government for a long time... They migh have a lot of seats in the Dutch parlament, but not the same as they would have the power to rule...

And, even in my corner of the world, where Fremskrittspartiet, for the moment is one of the bigger parties, they have allways been shunned as to far to the right.. And even then, right in Norway are not the same as right in many european country, as even right, would be compertable with liberal in most other nations.. Specailly in US, I would guess most of the parties of the right, would be liberal, as everyone agree about the bigger lines in the politic, it is more in the details, the parties is in disagreement.

Experience is half the policy i guess, and most of Europe, do have some experience with the far right and would not like to repeat it one more time.. Many of the far right parties in modern time, have background in neo-nazi or old nazi-movements who was active before the world war, and also suported, and therefore active under the war, as german puppets.. When Germany was loosing the war, the extreme parties also was loosing their footing and many of them was going underground to wait for "better times"..

Diclotican

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Sadly, it looks increasingly likely the Dutch far right party will be part of the agreement

Dutch coalition negotiators nearing agreement
Published on 27 September 2010 - 12:37pm

Rightwing coalition negotiators in the Netherlands have resumed their talks in what observers say will be a decisive week. According to unnamed sources in The Hague, free-market liberal VVD, Christian Democrat CDA and anti-immigration Freedom Party are close to agreement.

They are working towards a minority government of VVD and CDA, which with support of Freedom Party MPs will have a slender one-seat majority in the Lower House. Geert Wilders' Freedom Party will remain outside the cabinet. The government programme is expected to be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest, and is likely to be dominated by sharp financial cuts, needed to re-balance the national budget after the economic crisis.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-coalition-negotiators-nearing-agreement

[AngryAmish]

7. Stupid Flanders