Rutte vs. Wilders: anti-Moroccan rants

Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) has once more distanced himself even further from PVV-leader Geert Wilders' anti-Moroccan comments this week, as he approached the NOS for an interview in which he puts some worries of the Moroccan community at ease. 

Rutte told the NOS Jeugdjoernaal that he has been talking to a lot of people on the street, and in the school where he teaches on Thursdays, and many people have sent him letters. He says that children are scared about suddenly having to leave the country with their parents.

To this, Rutte wanted to take the opportunity to tell all the children and the people in The Netherlands that "nobody gets sent out of the country just like that."

Rutte's decision to make somewhat of an informal public announcement this way is a rare occurrence, and one that has catalyzed politicians to react on both sides of the fence.

D66-leader Alexander Pechtold tweeted "homage" for the prime minister.

On the other side of the fence, Wilders tweeted "disgusting that rutte exercises politics over the backs of children."

Fleur Agerna, MP for the PVV, wrote of Rutte's words as "demonization" and "prime minister unworthy!"

The prime minister also said that he heard that children of Moroccan origin are at the other end of "fewer, fewer" chants. "Don't lower yourself to that", Rutte said.