[The Dutch political pendulum]
The story of a country amidst political turmoil, but the show must go on…
by
Kaan Kutlu Ataç*

A country popularly known for its tulips, mills, wooden shoes, soft drugs, liberal social and political life and tolerance for different religious and ethnic groups actually lost its avant-garde role in the Western “liberal” and “multicultural” thinking tradition long ago. The country has been in the world media due to its national political turmoil since the Sept. 11 attacks: The Netherlands first was shocked by the assassinations of prominent far-right politician Pim Fortuyn in 2002, the first of its kind in nearly 100 years, and then of controversial filmmaker Theo van Gogh. These killings spurred the political agenda in such a way that the main, if not only, issue on the country’s political agenda became the “allochtonen” (foreigners who originally come from non-Western countries) and the integration problems of ethnic groups, mainly Moroccans and Turks. Discussions on loyalty to the Dutch state reached their peak when two “allochtonen” were given ministerial posts in the fourth Balkanende cabinet in 2007. Mr. Ahmed Aboutaleb and Ms. Nebahat Albayrak, who are dual citizens of the Netherlands and Morocco and Turkey respectively, were advised to give up their original citizenship as a sign of fidelity to the Netherlands (according to Moroccan law, it is impossible to give up Moroccan citizenship although it is possible in Turkish law). Without any doubt, political parties ranging from the “established” center right, to the left and the newly emerged far right parties are using “politically incorrect language” while at the same time highly organized public propaganda machines are abusing the problem of the integration of “allochtonen” groups and dual citizens in Dutch society. As wild political discussions about Ms. Albayrak’s position in the cabinet occupied the political agenda both in the Tweede Kamer (the House of Representatives) and the media, she eagerly defended her Turkish origins, although in the wake of the cabinet formation, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende asked Ms. Albayrak to consider of giving up her Turkish citizenship. Since that time, day-to-day politics in the Netherlands seems to have rotated in a vicious circle around the issues of social integration problems and the Islamic identity of immigrant groups in the country.

What happened to the once tolerant and multicultural Netherlands? Or was it ever so?

Although the CIA World Factbook indicates that the Netherlands has “no” international disputes, it is true that this small country has found itself involved in very turbulent domestic politics in recent years. In fact, the Dutch social and political system based upon the pillars of religion emerged uniquely as a very Dutch style of liberalism in the late 19th century. But all this harmony was shaken when “guest workers” from non-Western countries flowed into the country after World War II. In the beginning it was thought that the workers would return to their countries. But to the contrary, the majority of these “guests” decided to stay in the country, a decision which started to shake the relatively ethnically homogeneous society. The dream of a peaceful integration process and creating a multicultural society consisting of different religious and ethnic groups was acknowledged as a complete and utter failure, even by the social democrats, who were once the champions of this idealism in the Netherlands. The disappointment over the failure of the dream was even expressed in a Labor Party meeting in 2007 which was attended by the party’s leader, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Wouter Bos. Professor Ruud Peters of Amsterdam University said he is “looking forward to the day when the first Muslim woman in a burqa is elected to parliament.” Another academician, Paul Scheffer, who in 2000 published an article on the failed integration of immigrants (“The Multicultural Drama”), has written about the end of multiculturalism and repeatedly says Islam is unable to voice self-criticism, which leads to frustration whose ultimate outlet is in resentment and aggression. Even Mr. Bos had to accept the fact, which was declared in 2000, that in his view, the integration of immigrants could not take place without polarization in 2008. What is strange is that these two prominent academicians are of Labor Party origin. Theory and practice strangely met at the same point on at least one crucial point. The segregation between the non-Western Dutch and the “white head” Dutch is becoming apparent in almost every aspect of social, political and economic life.

Where is the political pendulum swinging?

In the last European Parliament elections in 2009, the Dutch pendulum looked as though it had stabilized, this time on the right of the political spectrum, and its position was further strengthened with the local elections in six newly formed Dutch municipalities in November 2009, although established center parties and social democrats did well in their strongholds. It should be remembered that a general election is planned for 2011 and according to some experts of Dutch politics there is a strong chance that the Labor Party and the Socialist Party will be “clobbered” in the next elections. If this evaluation proves correct we should be ready to discuss more confrontational questions regarding the social problems of “immigrant” societies in relation to the hot topic of Islam in Western Europe and the future of Muslim communities in this part of world. This small country, which once colonized the world’s biggest Muslim society, needs to be analyzed in more depth in order to bring light to advocates of the “clash of civilizations.”