By IRNA,
Berlin : The Dutch foreign ministry fears that the international reputation of its country could be tarnished over the growing political role of Dutch far-right legislator Geert Wilders, the daily Volkskrant newspaper reported Wednesday.
Dutch diplomats have been instructed to play down “international concern” over the mounting political role of the head of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) in a likely new government.
Official talks kicked off Monday on forming a new minority coalition government that would rely on the votes of Wilders’ Islamophobic party, although it would not be a formal part of the coalition.
Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has issued guidelines to all Dutch diplomat missions on how to respond to inquiries about the PVV, the paper said.
One of the questions that the document assumes could be asked by foreign governments reads: “If the PVV gives the government parliamentary support, what will that mean for the treatment of Muslims in the Netherlands?”
The internal memo reportedly encourages diplomats to say that the ban on mosques, the Holy Quran and Islamic schools pursued by Wilders would violate the Dutch constitution and would thus hardly be enforceable.
“As far as we know, the next government is not planning to amend the constitution,” the guidelines said, pointing out a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament would be required to proceed with such a move.
A spokesman for the foreign ministry in The Hague declined to confirm or deny the existence of the guidelines, saying that internal documents are as a matter of principle not commented upon.
Wilders has already overshadowed the beginning of the coalition negotiations by saying he would take part in a demonstration in New York of anti-Muslim groups protesting the building of a mosque next to the site of the September 11 terror attacks.