In “All-out war in The Hague,” Zacht Ei (thanks to Warren) reports that not everyone in Holland is willing to let Rita Verdonk get away with her high-tech lynching of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. This report was written before my post below, which gives Hirsi Ali’s remarks at her press conference.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s fellow members of the VVD free-market party are in an uproar. The normally hugely loyal Dutch VVD MP Bibi de Vries has said that ‘if anything happens to AHA, her blood will be on the hands of members of my party’. Former party leader Van Aartsen appeared on television with his face looking like a freshly boiled lobster. European VVD MP’s as well as Geert Dales, the VVD mayor of Leeuwarden, have condemned secretary Rita Verdonk’s preliminary decision to revoke AHA’s citizenship.
What will happen next?
“¢ AHA will hold a press conference, which is starting right now.
“¢ The political opposition is preparing a parliamentary condemnation of Verdonk’s action. Such a condemnation will effectively end Rita Verdonk’s tenure if it gets a majority.
“¢ The condemnation may very well get that majority, because of the open revolt within the VVD. Also, the right-of-centre CDA party, which supports the current administration, has expressed doubts about Verdonk.
“¢ If Verdonk has to go, then the entire Balkenende administration may have to resign, if it turns out that Balkenende was informed of Verdonk’s decision.
Balkenende is already distancing himself from Verdonk. Read it all.