PVV releases election program: "country without headscarfs, but with traditional Dutch coziness"

The Freedom Party (PVV) presented its election program on Saturday. The party’s points of view are explained in over 50 pages, with keywords such as culture and traditions, care and safety, and climate realism. 

In the preface, the party leader Geert Wilders writes that his party is proud of its own culture. “We will not let ourselves be talked into racism.” He wants to return to “a country without headscarves, but with traditional Dutch coziness, such as the Sinterklaas tradition with Zwarte Piet.” 

The PVV wants to “de-Islamize” the Netherlands. Among other things, it wants to stop the spread of “Islamic ideology.” The party wants to close the borders to “fortune seekers and immigrants from Islamic countries.” There must be a “Ministry of Immigration, Remigration, and De-Islamization,” and people with dual nationality should no longer have the right to vote, argues the election program. Temporary asylum permits for Syrian refugees should be withdrawn. 

Dutch flag

Furthermore, the party wants the Dutch flag to be raised in schools every day. Article 23, which ensures the freedom for special education, should be retained. However, education on an Islamic basis should be abolished, according to the PVV. 

The party also wants to “take control of our own money” and leave the European Union. Public broadcasting should also be abolished, says the party.

In addition, much more money should go to healthcare, for example, for a substantial, structural salary increase. Tens of thousands of care workers must also be added, including tens of thousands of new places in nursing homes. 

More police officers

The party wants to add 10,000 officers to the police force, and the army should be deployed “where necessary” to “reclaim the streets of the Netherlands.” 

The PVV still opposes changes to the pension system. The state pension age should be reduced to 65, they argue. Entrepreneurs who are the victims of the coronavirus crisis should be 100 percent compensated. Furthermore, the party wants to reduce the VAT on groceries. 

“Climate realism”

Finally, the party is advocating for “climate realism.” They argue that “CO2 is an energy source for everything that grows and thrives. Climate policy, which revolves around the reduction of CO2 emissions, therefore, has very little to do with nature or the environment.” The party thus wants to push back against climate regulation.