Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn (by Jean Thomassen)
Born	Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn February 19, 1948(1948-02-19) Driehuis, Netherlands
Died	May 6, 2002 (aged 54) Hilversum, Netherlands Murdered
Occupation	Politician
Political party	Lijst Pim Fortuyn
Religious stance	Roman Catholic
Website	www.pim-fortuyn.nl

Wilhelmus Simon Petrus (Pim) Fortuyn (pronounced [pɪm fɔʁtœʏn], (February 19, 1948 – May 6, 2002), was a controversial, openly gay, charismatic^[1] populistic right-wing politician in the Netherlands who formed his own party Lijst Pim Fortuyn (List Pim Fortuyn or LPF). He was assassinated during the 2002 Dutch national election campaign by animal rights activist Volkert van der Graaf, who confessed in court to murdering Fortuyn to stop him from targeting "the weak parts of society to score points" in seeking political power.^[2] The official spelling of his family name is "Fortuijn"; later in life he used the spelling "Fortuyn". Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Velsen (population: 67,642 in 2004) is a municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, on both sides of the North Sea Canal. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Lijst Pim Fortuyn (List Pim Fortuyn) is a political party in the Netherlands. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... Jesus is considered by historians such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader; The sociologist Max Weber defined charismatic authority as resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person, and of the normative patterns or order revealed or ordained... Populism is a political ideology or rhetorical style that holds that the common person is oppressed by the elite in society, which exists only to serve its own interests, and therefore, the instruments of the State need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and instead used for the... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Lijst Pim Fortuyn (List Pim Fortuyn) is a political party in the Netherlands. ... Lijst Pim Fortuyn (List Pim Fortuyn) is a political party in the Netherlands. ... Elections in the Netherlands for the Tweede Kamer of Parliament // The Dutch general election of 2002, held on May 15, 2002 was the most dramatic in Dutch history, not just in terms of the electoral results. ... Volkert van der Graaf (born July 9, 1969) is an animal welfare activist and is the confessed murderer of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn. ...

Fortuyn was the centre of controversy for his views on Islam and his anti-immigration positions. He called Islam "a backward culture" and said that if it were legally possible he would close the borders for Muslim immigrants.^[3] He was labelled a far-right populist by his opponents and in the media, but he fiercely rejected this label ^[4]and distanced himself clearly from far-right politicians such as the Belgian Filip Dewinter, the Austrian Jörg Haider or Frenchman Jean-Marie Le Pen whenever compared to them. While Fortuyn compared his own politics to centre-right politicians such as Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, he also admired former Dutch Prime Minister Joop den Uyl, a socialist. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into far right. ... Filip Dewinter (official spelling: Philip Dewinter, born September 11, 1962, Bruges) is a Flemish politician in Belgium. ... Jörg Haider Jörg Haider (born 26 January 1950) is an Austrian politician. ... This article is about the country. ... Jean-Marie Le Pen (born June 20, 1928, La Trinité-sur-Mer, France) is a French far-right nationalist politician, founder and president of the Front National (National Front) party. ...   (born September 29, 1936) is an Italian politician, entrepreneur, and media proprietor. ... A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dr. Johannes Marten Joop den Uyl (August 9, 1919 - December 24, 1987) was a Dutch politician, prime minister of the Netherlands from 1973 until 1977, as a member of the socialist PvdA party. ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ...

Biography

Fortuyn was born on February 19, 1948 in Driehuis, to a Catholic family. He studied sociology in Amsterdam and later worked as a lecturer at the Nyenrode Institute and as an associate professor at the University of Groningen. In 1988, he moved to Rotterdam, and became the director of a government organisation administering student transport cards. From 1991 to 1995, he was an extraordinary professor at the Erasmus University, appointed to the Albeda-chair in 'employment conditions in public service'. When his contract was discontinued, he made a career of public speaking and writing books and press columns, gradually becoming involved in politics. [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Velsen (population: 67,642 in 2004) is a municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland, on both sides of the North Sea Canal. ... Sociology (from Latin: socius, companion; and the suffix -ology, the study of, from Greek λόγος, lógos, knowledge [1]) is the systematic and scientific study of society, including patterns of social relationships, social action, and culture[2]. Areas studied in sociology can range from the analysis of brief contacts between anonymous... For other uses, see Amsterdam (disambiguation). ... Lecturer is a term of academic rank. ... Universiteit Nyenrode is Hollands leading business school and only private university. ... The University of Groningen, established in 1614, it is the second oldest and third largest university in the Netherlands, boasting more than 100,000 graduates since its inception. ... Nickname: Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle) Location of Rotterdam Coordinates: , Country Province Government  - Mayor Ivo Opstelten  - Aldermen Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk Area [1]  - Total 319 km² (123. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Erasmus University Rotterdam is a university in the Netherlands, located in Rotterdam. ... For other uses, see Politics (disambiguation). ...

A one-time communist and former member of the social-democratic PvdA, on November 26, 2001 he was elected by a large majority as lijsttrekker of the newly formed Leefbaar Nederland (Liveable Netherlands) party to participate in the May 2002 Dutch parliamentary elections. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... For the Belgian political party of the same name, see Partij van de Arbeid (Belgium). ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... There are several terms used in Dutch politics which are not easily translated into English. ... Leefbaar Nederland (Livable Netherlands) is a political party in the Netherlands, founded on March 21, 1999, by (among others) Jan Nagel and Henk Westbroek, respectively chairpersons of Leefbaar Hilversum and Leefbaar Utrecht. ...

In an interview in 2002 he described himself as a Catholic.^[5]

On February 9, 2002, he was interviewed by the Volkskrant, a Dutch newspaper (see below). The statements he made were considered so controversial that he was dismissed as lijsttrekker the next day. In the interview Fortuyn said, among other things, that he favoured putting an end to Muslim immigration, if that were possible. Having been rejected by Leefbaar Nederland, Fortuyn founded his own party LPF (Lijst Pim Fortuyn) on February 11, 2002. Many Leefbaar Nederland supporters transferred their support to the new party. is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... De Volkskrant is a Dutch newspaper. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Lijst Pim Fortuyn (List Pim Fortuyn) is a political party in the Netherlands. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

As lijsttrekker for the Leefbaar Rotterdam party, a local issues party, he achieved a major victory in the Rotterdam district council elections in early March 2002. The new party won about 36% of the seats, making it the largest faction in the council. For the first time since the Second World War, the Labour Party found itself out of power in Rotterdam. Leefbaar Rotterdam (Livable Rotterdam) is a political party in the large Dutch city of Rotterdam. ... Nickname: Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle) Location of Rotterdam Coordinates: , Country Province Government  - Mayor Ivo Opstelten  - Aldermen Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk Area [1]  - Total 319 km² (123. ... For the Belgian political party of the same name, see Partij van de Arbeid (Belgium). ...

On May 6, 2002, at age 54, he was assassinated in Hilversum, North Holland by Volkert van der Graaf. The attack took place in a parking lot outside a radio studio in Hilversum, where Fortuyn had just given an interview. This was nine days before the elections for the lower house of Parliament, for which he was running. The attacker was pursued by Hans Smolders, the driver of Pim Fortuyn, and was arrested by the police shortly afterwards, still in possession of a gun. is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... This is an incomplete list of persons that were assassinated for political and other reasons, and who have individual entries. ... is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. ... Capital Haarlem Queens Commissioner Mr. ... Volkert van der Graaf (born July 9, 1969) is an animal welfare activist and is the confessed murderer of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn. ... is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ...

Months later, Volkert van der Graaf confessed in court to the Netherlands' first modern age political assassination (excluding WW II events), possibly the first since the lynching of the De Witt brothers in The Hague in 1672. Van der Graaf said: "I confess to the shooting. He was an ever growing danger who would affect many people in society. I saw it as a danger. I hoped that I could solve it myself." Van der Graaf was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Volkert van der Graaf (born July 9, 1969) is an animal welfare activist and is the confessed murderer of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn. ... Johan de Witt (September 24, 1625, Dordrecht - August 20, 1672, The Hague) was a significant Dutch political figure. ... Hague redirects here. ...

The assassination shocked the Netherlands and made the cultural clashes within the country apparent. Politicians from all political parties suspended campaigning. After consultation with LPF, it was decided not to postpone the elections. However, under Dutch law, it was not possible to modify the ballots, so Fortuyn became a posthumous candidate. The LPF went on to win an unprecedented debut in the lower house of parliament, winning 26 seats (17% of the 150 seats in the house). However, after the elections the following year, this figure dropped to eight seats, and after the 2006 elections the party had no seats left in the parliament.

Fortuyn was initially buried in The Netherlands. He was re-interred on July 20, 2002, at San Giorgio della Richinvelda, in the province of Pordenone in Italy, where he had owned a house. is the 201st day of the year (202nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... San Giorgio della Richinvelda is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pordenone in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 90 km northwest of Trieste and about 20 km northeast of Pordenone. ... Pordenone (It. ...

Views on Islam and immigration

In August 2001, Fortuyn was quoted in the Rotterdams Dagblad newspaper, saying, among other things, "I am also in favour of a cold war with Islam. I see Islam as an extraordinary threat, as a hostile religion."^[6] In the TV program Business class Fortuyn said that Muslims in Netherlands did not accept Dutch society. Fortuyn appeared several times in the TV program Business class, moderated by his friend Harry Mens. In this program it has been suggested that his words were interpreted rather harshly, if not wrongly. For instance, he said that Muslims in the Netherlands needed to accept living together with the Dutch, and that if this was unacceptable for them, then they were free to leave. His concluding words in the TV program were I want to live together with the Muslim people, but it takes two to tango. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

On February 9, 2002, he made further controversial statements in a Dutch newspaper, this time the Volkskrant.^[3] He said that the Netherlands, with a population of 16 million, had enough inhabitants, and therefore, the practice of allowing as many as 40,000 asylum-seekers into the country each year had to be stopped (however, the actual number was not that high and already falling at that time^[7]). He claimed that if he became part of the next government, he would pursue a restrictive immigration policy while also granting citizenship to a large group of illegal immigrants. Remarkably, he said that he did not intend to "unload our Moroccan hooligans" onto the Moroccan king Hassan ^[8]. This king had died three years earlier^[9]. Furthermore, he considered Article 7 of the constitution, which asserts freedom of speech, of more importance than Article 1, which forbids discrimination on the basis of religion, life principles, political inclination, race, or sexual preference. However, he distanced himself from Hans Janmaat of the Centrum Democraten, who in the 1980s wanted to remove all foreigners from the country and was repeatedly convicted for discrimination and hate speech. De Volkskrant is a Dutch newspaper. ... King Hassan, pictured late in life. ... This article is about the general concept. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... Hans Janmaat (November 3, 1934 - June 9, 2002) was a far-right politician in the Netherlands. ... ) Categories: Stub | Netherlands political parties ...

Fortuyn proposed that all people who already resided in the Netherlands would be able to stay, but he emphasized the need of the immigrants to adopt the Dutch society's consensus on human rights as their own. He said "If it were legally possible, I'd say no more Muslims will get in here", claiming that the influx of Muslims would threaten freedoms in the liberal Dutch society. He thought Muslim culture had never undergone a process of modernisation and therefore still lacked acceptance of democracy and women's, gays', lesbians' and minorities' rights, and feared it would dismiss the Dutch legal system in favour of the shari'a law. Modernization is the process of changing the conditions of a society, an organisation or another group of people in ways that change the privileges of that group according to modern technology or modern knowledge. ... This article is about Islamic religious law. ...

One of Fortuyn's fears was of pervasive intolerance in the Muslim community. In a televised debate in 2002, "Fortuyn baited the Muslim cleric by flaunting his homosexuality. Finally the imam exploded, denouncing Fortuyn in strongly anti-homosexual terms. Fortuyn calmly turned to the camera and, addressing viewers directly, told them that this is the kind of Trojan horse of intolerance the Dutch are inviting into their society in the name of multiculturalism^[10]".

When asked by the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant whether he hated Islam, he replied: "I don't hate Islam. I consider it a backward culture. I have travelled much in the world. And wherever Islam rules, it's just terrible. All the hypocrisy. It's a bit like those old Reformed Protestants. The Reformed lie all the time. And why is that? Because they have norms and values that are so high that you can't humanly maintain them. You also see that in that Muslim culture. Then look at the Netherlands. In what country could an electoral leader of such a large movement as mine be openly homosexual? How wonderful that that's possible. That's something that one can be proud of. And I'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much." ^[11] De Volkskrant is a Dutch newspaper. ... The Dutch Reformed village church of St. ...

Fortuyn was author of the book Tegen de islamisering van onze cultuur: Nederlandse identiteit als fundament (Against the Islamicisation of Our Culture). (A.W. Bruna, 1997). (ISBN 9-0229-8338-2)

Other views

He said he was neither right wing nor left wing, asked for more openness in politics, and expressed his distaste for what he called "subsidy socialism".^{[citation needed]} He furthermore criticised the media as a Siamese twin of the government.^{[citation needed]} Siamese Twin can refer to: It is a slang term for conjoined twins Siamese Twin, the alias of AQi Fzono, a Japanese composer and electronic musician This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

He wanted smaller-scale organization of public services such as health, education, and the police, making extensive use of the possibilities of information technology (for example, a surgeon conducting an operation remotely at a local hospital).^{[citation needed]} Critics said his plans would require building hundreds or thousands of new institutions at enormous expense, but Fortuyn said no extra funds would be allocated until inefficiencies had been removed.

He also held liberal views, favouring the drug policy of the Netherlands, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and related positions.^{[citation needed]} The drug policy of the Netherlands is based on 3 principles: Drug use is a public health issue, not a criminal matter A distinction between hard drugs and soft drugs exists High drug related public expenditure, the highest drug related public expenditure per capita of all countries in EU (139... One of four newly wedded same-sex couples in a public wedding at Taiwan Pride 2006. ... For mercy killings not performed on humans, see Animal euthanasia. ...

He wanted to unite the army and air force to save money, retaining only a navy, but also favoured re-instating compulsory military service, giving youngsters the choice between military service and a new form of social services (in which they would help in hospitals or retirement homes, for example).^{[citation needed]} It is often said that he wanted to disband the army and the air force; however, Fortuyn denied this on 24 March 2002 in a business TV programme.^{[citation needed]}

Books

• Tegen de islamisering van onze cultuur: Nederlandse identiteit als fundament (Against the Islamicisation of Our Culture), (A.W. Bruna, 1997). (ISBN 9-0229-8338-2)
• 50 jaar Israel, hoe lang nog?: Tegen het tolereren van fundamentalisme, (Bruna, 1998). (ISBN 9-0229-8407-9)
• De Puinhopen Van Acht Jaar Paars: de Wachtlijsten in de Gezondheidszorg, de Zorgwekkende Staat Van Het Onderwijs, de Problemen Met Betrekking Tot de V (The rubble of eight purple years), (Karakter Uitgevers, 2002). (ISBN 9-0611-2911-7)

Reasons for success

Many opinion leaders have tried to explain the rise of Fortuyn and his appeal with a large segment of the voters. A widely held view focuses on a perceived "gap" between politicians and common citizens: according to this account the feelings and complaints of the population, in particular concerning immigration and integration, were ignored for reasons of political correctness or simply because politicians were out of touch with their voters. Others pointed at Fortuyn's charisma and his oratory skills, which were in stark contrast with those of some of his opponents. Finally, some feel the political culture at the time was responsible- the traditional emphasis on consensus within Dutch politics (Polder Model) was further heightened during the coalition governments of former enemies PvdA and VVD (the mainstream left- and right-wing parties respectively). These governments were also known for what are sometimes called "back room deals": intensive collaboration between the government and the coalition parties in the parliament. All this had led to increasingly similar political platforms for the coalition parties, a development that Fortuyn used to his advantage, some would say. Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... For other uses, see Charisma (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The polder model is the Dutch version of corporatism. ... For the Belgian political party of the same name, see Partij van de Arbeid (Belgium). ... The Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD), literally Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy, is a free market liberal party in the Netherlands. ...

Of course, the explanations mentioned above are not mutually exclusive, and many believe several of these factors, and others, have played a role.

Legacy

Fortuyn can be credited with changing the Dutch political landscape and political culture^[12].^{[attribution needed]} The 2002 elections, only weeks after Fortuyn's death, were marked by large losses for the liberalist VVD and especially the Social Democratic Party PvdA (which was even halved in size); both parties replaced their unpopular leaders shortly after. The election winners were Fortuyn's party LPF, and the Christian Democratic Party CDA, which, according to pundits, was seen as a "safe haven" by those who planned to vote for Fortuyn but were wary of voting for a party without his leadership.^{[attribution needed]} On the other hand, others speculate that Fortuyn's perceived martyrdom may have played into the hands of the LPF. Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... The Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD), literally Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy, is a free market liberal party in the Netherlands. ... For the Belgian political party of the same name, see Partij van de Arbeid (Belgium). ... Lijst Pim Fortuyn (List Pim Fortuyn) is a political party in the Netherlands. ... The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) (Dutch: Christen Democratisch Appèl) is a Dutch Christian-democratic political party. ...

All major parties have adopted tougher immigration and integration viewpoints after the rise of Fortuyn. The immigration policy of the Netherlands is now one of the strictest in the EU.^{[citation needed]} In addition, debates on these topics, in politics, but also in everyday life, have become more prevalent and are no longer taboo as many claim they were in the years before Fortuyn. However, while some applaud these developments as a release from political correctness, others have objected to the harsher political and social climate, especially towards immigrants and Muslims.^[13] Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ...

Contemporary Dutch politics is more polarized than it has been in recent years, especially on the issues that Fortuyn was best known for. There is a deep division on whether to consider the multicultural society a failure, and to what extent assimilation by newcomers is needed. The decision by the government to expel a large number of asylum seekers whose application had failed^[14] was met with praise but also with fierce criticism. Incidentally, Fortuyn advocated an amnesty for asylum seekers already residing in the Netherlands. The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ... In the social sciences, assimilation is the process of integration whereby immigrants, or other minority groups, are absorbed into a generally larger community. ...

Many politicians stress the importance of learning from the reasons behind the failure of the traditional parties.^{[attribution needed]} Listening to voters, transparent government, more dualism and speaking plainly are mentioned as some of the lessons learned from Fortuyn's success, although some complain that there have been no substantial changes, or that common courtesy in politics has been replaced by blatant populism.^{[attribution needed]}

The coalition cabinet of CDA, LPF and VVD fell within three months, largely due to infighting within the LPF. In the following elections the LPF was diminished to only 8 seats in parliament (out of 150) and was not included in the new government; however, political commentators speculated that there was still a sizeable number of discontented voters who might vote for a non-traditional party, if a viable alternative was at hand. In recent times the right-wing Party for Freedom, which has a strong stance on immigration and integration, has won 9 (out of 150) seats in the 2006 elections. This also contributed to the LPF losing its remaining seats in parliament, and the subsequent disbandment of the party.^{[citation needed]} The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) (Dutch: Christen Democratisch Appèl) is a Dutch Christian-democratic political party. ... Lijst Pim Fortuyn (List Pim Fortuyn) is a political party in the Netherlands. ... The Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD), literally Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy, is a free market liberal party in the Netherlands. ... This article is about the Party of Freedom previously known as Group Wilders. ...

In 2004, in a TV show, Fortuyn was chosen as De Grootste Nederlander ("Greatest Dutchman of all-time"^[15]), followed closely by William of Orange, the leader of the independence war that established the precursor to the present-day Netherlands. However, the election was widely regarded as not being representative as it was held through the internet and by phoning in, and so easily hijacked and probably heavily influenced by Fortuyn’s supporters, who had his violent death still fresh in their minds. Also, the murder of the equally controversial film director Theo van Gogh by a Muslim for comments critical of Islam had occurred a few days before the election and undoubtedly moved many voters to bring Fortuyn higher in the ranking. It later turned out that William of Orange had in fact received more votes, although they could not be counted until after the official closing time of the poll (and the proclamation of the winner), due to technical problems. The result has therefore remained uncorrected. De Grootste Nederlander (The Greatest Dutchman) was a public poll held in 2004 by the broadcasting company, KRO (Publieke Omroep). ... William I (William the Silent) William I, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau (April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584) was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. ... Theo van Gogh (IPA: ) (July 23, 1957–November 2, 2004) was a Dutch film director, television producer, publicist and actor. ...

Fortuyn's sudden and short political career and popularity could point to a shift in the opinion the Dutch have about themselves as a tolerant society with integrated multiple cultures. "First of all one can conclude that criticism on political correctness and on the ideal of the multicultural society has broken through for real relatively late.[...] In the end it were Pim Fortuyn, the electoral success of the LPF and namely the murder on Fortuyn which led to the definitive breakthrough."^[16] Although he did not advocate segregation, he made political establishment aware of their failure to recognise it as a disputable issue.

Sexual misconduct allegations

In 2005, Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries obtained a secret report of the intelligence department of the Rotterdam police. It became clear from this report that Fortuyn, along with several other members from his party, had been the subject of investigation by the intelligence services. An anonymous informant claimed that Fortuyn had engaged in sex with Moroccan youths aged between 16 and 21. However, the report contained factual inaccuracies, and the trustworthiness of the original source could not be verified.^[17] Peter Rudolf de Vries (14 november 1956 - ) is a Dutch crime reporter with his own television program, and also a politician. ...

Fortuynism in Flanders

In Belgium, several minor political parties adopted the same liberal conservative principles as Pim Fortuyn did in the Netherlands, especially his combination of "tough-on-crime" and "anti-immigrant" stands with his ethical progressive and economical libertarian viewpoints. In Flanders, analysts and observers tend to call VLOTT a fortuynist party, as well as List Dedecker and the Liberal Appeal. These three "liberal" parties do not officially call themselves fortuynist. The Liberal-Conservative Party was the formal name of the Conservative Party of Canada until 1873, although some Tory candidates continued to run under the label as late as the 1911 Canadian election. ... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ... VLOTT (English:Flemisch Liberal Independent Tolerant Transparant) is a Belgian political party. ... List Dedecker (Dutch: ) is a Belgian political party founded in January 2007 by Senator Jean-Marie Dedecker. ... The Liberaal Appèl is a Flemish liberal political party. ...

References

King Hassan, pictured late in life. ... Rod Dreher (b. ...