In a politically inspired witch hunt, a panel of 3 judges in the Netherlands convicted Geert Wilders of incitement to discrimination, and also of insulting an ethnic group.
The ethnic group in question was Moroccans, as if Morocco is a race. Charges stem from 2014 when Wilders replied “We’re going to take care of that.” to a group of cheering supporters who shouted that they wanted fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands.
No matter what one may think of Wilders personally, the charge appears ridiculous. Nonetheless, Geert Wilders Found guilty, With No Penalty when he could have been fined or jailed for his comments.
Geert Wilders, the Dutch anti-Islam politician, has been found guilty of incitement to discrimination and insulting an ethnic group but managed to avoid punishment in a trial in the Netherlands.
Prosecutors had demanded that Mr Wilders, whose rightwing Party for Freedom, or PVV, tops the polls, face a fine of €5,000 for leading anti-Moroccan chants at a rally. But judges opted not to impose any punishment, arguing that a conviction alone was damaging enough.
Mr Wilders’ PVV is forecast to be the Netherlands’ biggest party in elections in three months, with a slim lead over the centre-right VVD of Mark Rutte, the prime minister.
In a video released after the verdict, Mr Wilders said: “I am not a racist and neither are my voters.”
In his final statement to the court in late November, Mr Wilders accused senior ministers, from Mr Rutte down, of running a political trial and conducting a witch hunt against him.
The case was the second in which Mr Wilders has been accused of inciting hate speech, after he was cleared of similar charges in 2011. That long-running case, which stemmed from comments made between 2006 and 2008, helped raise Mr Wilders’ profile in the country.
Before the trial, Mr Wilders had struck a defiant tone. “I will continue to speak the truth regardless, including about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me,” he told a Dutch newspaper.
Nexit Next?
I commented on Wilders, including his final statement to the judges on November 30, in Multiple Simultaneous Threats: Nexit Next?
Wilders elected to not defend himself, except for a very long final statement to the judges. For excerpts, click on the above link.
Recent Polls
Wilders is ahead in all the recent polls. However, the Netherlands has over a dozen political parties, making a coalition nearly mandatory.
Chart from Wikipedia Opinion polling for the Dutch general election, 2017.
The current coalition between Murk Rutte’s VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy) and Diederik Samsom’s PvdA (Labour Party), is all but dead.
That coalition will not come close to having a majority of seats. In fact, it appears Wilders will win (get the most seats). Unless Wilders can form a coalition, he will not be the next prime minister.
Wikipedia explains: The first Rutte cabinet’s parliamentary majority was provided by Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam, -immigration, and -EU Party for Freedom (PVV), but this majority became unstable when Wilders’ party refused to support austerity measures in connection with the Euro crisis. Therefore, elections for the House of Representatives were held on 12 September 2012. The VVD remained the largest party, with 41 seats. Since 5 November 2012, the VVD has been the senior partner in the second Rutte cabinet, a “purple” coalition with the Labour Party (PvdA).
Rutte may not survive the next election. If he does, it will be an unstable coalition of many political parties banding together to keep out Wilders.
Such coalitions may rule for a while, but will have a very difficult time passing legislation.
If Wilders comes in first, even if he cannot form a coalition, it will be another vote of no confidence in the immigration politics of German chancellor Angela Merkel.
Another One Bites the Dust, More Coming
On December 4, I reported Renzi Resigns Following Crushing Referendum Defeat: Beppe Grillo, Marine le Pen, Matteo Salvina Tweets
I ran out of room to include Renzi. As it stands now, Rutte is in the batters box with an 0-2 count, needing a run but trailing Wilders in the bottom of the 9th.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
I like reading stuff like this. It makes me remember they’re weirdos over there.
I’m from “over there” and I agree – weirdos. I like reading about the US too, and for the same reason….
But we’re trying to get better. Trump’s coming. Entertaining, yet likely to make life better for all except the whiners who like being subservient to the upper 1% and their flunkies.
Hey Mike, After I saw that Pudzer was named Sec. of Labor I was quite happy having read so many of his editorials in the WSJ. I’m surprised you haven’t written anything about it. I have to assume that you are equally happy. In fact, I’ve been quite pleased with all of Trump’s picks, with perhaps the possibly inexplicable choice of McMahon. Brian Gray BTW – I should mention that I really appreciate the individual email rather than digest format emails. Keeps me up to date sooner! Thanks!
Overall, Trump appears to be adding qualified people, unlike his predecessor. That being said, he’s adding to the swamp, not draining it, with all the Goldman scum.
Mish, I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU DO AND SHARE ON ALL MEDIA. IVER 10K FOLLOWERS
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
Jaclyn
Hi Mish. There’s a great video of Geert Wilders response to the verdict.
How is it that one of the most overpopulated places on Earth, the Netherlands, felt that it had some empty spaces for immigrants? Speaks volumes about the loss of touch with reality of today’s libtards.
I’m surprised these fascists didn’t tie him to the judicial bench afterwards and flog him in public for “insulting” the Moroccans.
Anybody who has ever visited Morocco would understand why Wilders wants to reduce their numbers in his own country.
Civilization has gone mad.
That’s what happens once freedom of speech is no longer freedom of speech.
It starts by suckering the drones into accepting limitations on yelling fire in a crowded theater. From there to being killed for not shouting Dear Leader with enough conviction, is just technicalities.
It is the beauty, the absolute purpose, of diminishing society to its current fragile state, that ANY freedom, ANY TRUTH is the equivalent of yelling fire in a crowded theatre, and MUST be prevented at ALL cost to our liberty……for our own protection.
The establishment in the Netherlands will feel the same pain as in Italy, France, Spain, the US and others. Fed up with the talking heads in the Hague after 6 years of neoliberal Rutte’s coalition, exhausting the normal people by severe austerity, bail outs of the too big too save banks and in favour of the elite and corporations filling their big pockets.
Wilders is the first politian in the Dutch parliament to be sentenced in Court. So you might ask yourself questions about the Trias Politica and the Freedom of Speech for politicians. Some suggest to limit on the FoS in case of insulting certain groups of the population. The point here is that Wilders reacted fiercely after hearing this sentence. “This court is just fake with three judges who are anti PVV”. “Can you prove that Geert?”, many Dutch asked.
But back to the political reality the PVV of Wilders will not bring a better situation after the elections in 2017. Their financial/economic/social program was just written on one A4, but is nothing more than thin air. The migration in the Netherlands is a serious problem, some criminal Moroccan and other asylum seekers making big problems and misusing our hospitality, but it’s still a minority. Due to Merkel’s reckless Invitation in 2015 about 58.000 refugees (the size of a Dutch city!!) came to the Netherlands. No government anywhere in the world, surely not in this tiny, terribly overpopulated and congested country, is able to “Wir schaffen es”. But Merkel as part of the establishment and in all her arrogance will be candidate again for Chancellorship in 2017. “I will be needed again in Europe”, she proclaimed! Most moslims in the Netherlands are fully integrated and set up their own businesses and work hard, but a minority moslim radicals and their Imams are spoiling everything. But it was caused in the past when the politics neglected this problem. And Wilders does highlight that fact! But will he solve?, talking about is one thing, but tackling this problems in a parliamentary democracy is another thing.
If Wilders wins the election on 15 March 2017, he might obtain 25 – 35 seats, he will find no party willing to collaborate. Either Rutte’s VVD, 20 – 25 seats, will be able to find a majority coalition which will survive another four years. So I predict Spanish like status quo in the Netherlands.
Junker has been open about the plan until the end of the century. He made comparison to the slippage of Europe in the past 100 years.
1) Europe is the smallest continent. Read this as meaning they want to increase surface area, East and south East. Explains a lot.
2) By end of the century about 10Bn humans on the planet, Europe will be a smaller % than the past and less influential. Read that as they want increases in population – immigration, nothing the Dutch at can do to stop this. It will be made to happen. Resistance is futile. Expansion into other countries also.
3) Nations won’t exist solo outside the EU. Lose your identity inside or outside, you choose. He forgets others, small, are outside and will remain so and cope. Rule the world, no, prosper in peace, likely.
He is unelected and has a model in his and others heads that will be made to fit no matter what. Holland, you are lost. They will not be satisfied until an Empire has been created. We are all minions, individuals don’t matter.
Say it again, resistance is futile.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/741835/Brexit-News-Jean-Claude-Juncker-Maastricht-speech-25th-anniversary-won-t-exist-outside-EU
Who really wants to boss other countries around?
I am minded to think the future is small, not large.
Each country can work with others in good will WITHOUT giving up sovereignty.
I think of Junkers model as one of fear of lack of control. Perhaps it’s because he’s from Luxembourg and scared of the big wide world.
Perhaps because his first language isn’t English or Chinese or Spanish.
Perhaps he can’t imagine co-operation without control.
I think he is stuck in the past of Empires and dictats and his ideas need to develop to the next level. May well be the wrong man for the job. Now he wants an army for “hard power”. It will be a disaster. How long before it is used to control a dissenting people?
Moroccans may not be a race, but they certainly could be considered an ethnic group, especially in the Netherlands compared to the white majority, and inciting people against them cannot be said to be an appeal to “freedom”.
The future of all races depends upon human stability. Do not support liberal governments. Leave the Mid East to rot. Support wealth.