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Marjan Duijsens
Netherlands
9196 Posts
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 Posted-03 Feb 2003: 16:25:43  
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Man of Sharp Words
by Robert Chesal and the Internet desk, 6 May 2002
(c) Nos
Pim Fortuyn burst onto the political stage this year with sharp verbal attacks on the established political parties. He made plenty of enemies in a short time, but no one could deny the 54-year-old professor almost single-handedly re-invigorated the Dutch political landscape.
Mr Fortuyn, campaigned on issues close to people's hearts - crime, immigration, education, health – with a blunt and aggressive style alien to mainstream politicians.
He was hoping to translate his recent victory in the Rotterdam city council elections into a place in national government, and according to recent opinion polls, his party was indeed headed for another stunning success. Just over a week before the election was to take place, some polls had him the third most popular candidate.
Opinionated
Despite his apparently sudden explosion into Dutch politics, Mr Fortuyn had been a distinctive figure for years; as an opinionated sociology professor at Groningen University, his pinstripe suits, brash ties, and shaven head attracted the kind of attention he would later foster with a wider public.
He developed his populist style on television talk shows and writing a weekly column for the Elsevier news magazine. His message was always provocative, often attacking the left-wing political establishment, gaining strength and voters by breaking political taboos. For years, he argued that deep cuts should be made in the social safety net enjoyed by the unemployed. He also said the Netherlands had to get tough on immigration, with the blunt rationale "the Netherlands is full".
Pro-discrimination
He took this point to its logical conclusion a few months ago, telling a Dutch daily newspaper that immigration had to be stopped. And, he added, it was time to scrap the Dutch constitutional amendment banning discrimination.
This was a turning point for the professor. The party he led, Leefbaar Nederland ("Liveable Netherlands"), saw him as a liability and revoked his candidature. So Mr Fortuyn set up his own party, Lijst Pim Fortuyn, and immediately his popularity soared.
Homesexual Defence
Mr Fortuyn was also openly homosexual, not as politically risky in The Netherlands as elsewhere, but he actually used his gay identity for political leverage. In the current election campaign, he angered many Muslims in the Netherlands by saying that Islam was a backward religion. When he was accused of being a fascist, he defended himself by pointing out that he was gay.
"They're trying to make a demon out of me," he said. "I am not a fascist or a racist. Obviously as a homosexual I know about prejudice."
groetjes Marjan
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Man of Sharp Words
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