Wilders: 'Fewer Moroccans in the Hague'

PVV-leader Geert Wilders has come under fire from politicians after a comment he made on the campaign trail at a market in The Hague on Wednesday. 

Wilders said that voters want "a city with fewer problems and, if possible fewer Moroccans."

Geert Wilders was on a market in Loosduinen with frontrunner for the PVV, Leon de Jong, campaigning for municipal council elections which are set for the 19th of March. They were handing out guilders in protest of the euro. During the visit, Wilders was questioned by NOS reporter Michiel Breedveld.

"Most important are the people here on the market, the Hagenaars, Hagenezen and Scheveningers", Wilders said. "We are doing it for those people. They are voting for a safer and more social city with fewer problems and, if possible also fewer Moroccans."

In reaction to this statement from Wilders, who is now picking fault with Moroccans as well as the religion of Islam, politicians took to tv-programme Pauw en Witteman.

SP-leader Emile Roemer said these kinds of comments scare him. He says Wilders is now going further than he did before. First he aimed at a religion, and now an entire population. "He is now clearly crossing a line", Roemer said. The SP-leader concluded that he doesn't want to share a government with "such a party."

Halbe Zijlstra, from the liberal VVD, said that you shouldn't look at peoples' origins, but to their contributions to society. He did not refuse a possible new coalition with the PVV, however.

Hans Spekman from the social-democratic PvdA wrote on Twitter that "Wilders idiotic judgement about a city with fewer Moroccans shows what's at stake. Terrible."