EU Parliament presses Dutch to disavow far-right website
website
(STRASBOURG) - The European Parliament called on the Dutch government on Thursday not to turn a blind eye to a far-right party's policies and to investigate if its anti-immigrant website incites hatred.
The parliament adopted a resolution urging Prime Minister Mark Rutte to condemn and distance himself from the "deplorable" Freedom Party (PVV) website, saying the site is contrary to fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
The text, approved by a show of hands, "urges the Dutch government not to turn a blind eye to the policies of the Freedom Party which are in contradiction with fundamental EU values."
The resolution also calls on EU leaders to condemn the website and asks Dutch authorities to investigate whether it is an incitement to hatred and discrimination.
The "Report Middle and Eastern Europeans" site (http://www.meldpuntmiddenenoosteuropeanen.nl/), pooling complaints against east European migrants, is the brainchild of the PVV, which offers parliamentary support to Rutte's coalition but remains outside government.
The centre-right minority coalition government has refused to condemn the site, arguing that it was a party's webpage and not a government initiative.
"The end of this story is in Mr Rutte's hands now. His non-reaction is unacceptable," said Hannes Swoboda, head of the parliament's Socialist group.
Joseph Daul, head of the parliament's centre-right European People's Party, said: "We expect a more European attitude from the Dutch government."