Comment

Row after four Dutch MPs wear neo-Nazi insignia in parliament

2
ThomasLite9/28/2013 9:12:34 pm PDT

Actually, it *is* quite a bit more nuanced than that. the “prinsenvlag” in question has always symbolized some sort of (usually quite ridiculous, to some degree) longing for a ‘united’ Dutch nation - most of the time just incorporating Flanders, not much more. The way I understand it it’s been in use pretty much for the entire last century in those circles.

Do those circles contain the stormfront types? Yes, certainly. Way I understand it, though (and remember, I don’t really have a bone in this personally) is that those don’t even make up a plurality of that crowd, just the most (nastily) vocal bit of it.
Popularity amongst, for example, linguists seems to be quite high - then again theres a lot of “Dutch language” specialists both here and in Flanders quite actively in favour of integrating Flanders into the Netherlands - which is basically all the damn thing is about for most folks.

Now there are some rather objectionable elements in the PVV for sure but (even neo-) nazism? Bit of a stretch, at best. Nationalists? Certainly. Idiots? Got more than their fair share of them, that’s for sure. but nazis? Nah. Sorry, I’m going with out of context sensationalism on this one.
I’ll look up the parliamentary debate mentioned when I find the time for it, though. Certainly sounds like his usual way of dodging the tough, on-point questions Pechtold has a habit of asking rather frequently - and forcefully - (yup, D66 voter here), so probably not much to be found there.

Oh, on the topic of accuracy: describing D66 as centre-left is more than a bit of a stretch. Progressive, slightly right of centre is both probably more accurate and certainly something most of us actually voting that way much prefer ;)