Rita Verdonk
Encyclopedia
Maria Cornelia Frederika "Rita" Verdonk (born October 18, 1955) is a retired Dutch
politician initially of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(VVD) until she was expelled in October 2007, she later formed her own party Proud of the Netherlands
(Trots). She served as Minister for Integration and Immigration in Cabinets Balkenende II and III. During her time as Minister for Integration and Immigration she was considered to be the most powerful and influential Minister
of the Cabinets Balkenende II
and III
. In 2006 after the Minister of Justice Piet Hein Donner
resigned following a Netherlands Safety Board enquiry into a fire at a cell block near Schiphol Airport, she served as Minister of Justice from September 21, 2006 til September 22, 2006.
After the Dutch general election of 2006
, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
lost seats and became the leading Opposition
party against the Cabinet Balkenende IV
. Verdonk became a Member of the House of Representatives, but after continuing disagreement with Party leader
Mark Rutte
she was expelled from the parliamentary faction of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
on September 13, 2007. One month later she cancelled her membership, after a reconciliation attempt failed and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
party board initiated a procedure of exclusion. In October 2007, she announced the creation of her own political movement, Proud of the Netherlands
(Dutch: Trots op Nederland). She was the Lijsttrekker
of the Proud of the Netherlands
party for the Dutch general election of 2010
, but didn't win any seats. On October 21, 2011 she announced her retirement from politics, leaving the future of the Proud of the Netherlands
party unknown.
, Verdonk attended High School at Utrecht's Niels Stensen College at the atheneum
level. She went on to study sociology
at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, which at the time was considered left-wing, specializing in sociology of organisations and criminology
.
Verdonk was member of a sub-faculty board of the University and a member of the activist group Bond voor Wetsovertreders (BWO; English: Union for Lawbreakers) which had close ties with the far-left Pacifist Socialist Party
. Its 1977 manifesto included as the organisation's aims "to curb and/or prevent material damage and immaterial damage inflicted to individuals or groups in our society by the Dutch legal system". The BWO campaigned for detainee minimum wages, the abolition of censorship of letters for detainees and the right to unsupervised visits, amongst more issues.
The group visited inmates at a local prison and undertook legal interventions on their behalf. Verdonk participated in a non-violent human blockade during the Pierson riots of 1981, when plans for housing demolition to make room for a parking lot triggered violent civil unrest.
Because of her activism during this period, she earned the nickname "Red Rita." In 2002 she became member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
(VVD). In a 2006 article, some of Verdonk's friends and colleagues from her Nijmegen days expressed surprise at Verdonk's radical switch in political orientation after graduating in 1983. Some observed that Verdonk had never held outspoken left-wing ideals and was a critic of communist regimes, others hypothesized that it was part of a growing-up phase; a former treasurer of the BWO suspected that Verdonk had been a police informer all those years.
After graduating in 1983, Verdonk became trainee at the Department of Correction at the Ministry of Justice. In 1984, she became Assistant-Director at the Scheveningen Detention Centre. In 1988, she became member of the board of the Prison 'De Schie' in Rotterdam
. In 1992, she switched to the Ministry of Justice's department of Youth and Hospital Orders Institutions, where she reached the position of Vice-Director. In 1996, she went on to become Director of the Department of State Security of the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Between 1999 and 2003 she was Senior Manager / Director of consulting firm KPMG
(as of 2002, Atos KPMG Consulting
).
with an impulsive style of governing. In a few incidents she was attacked physically for her policies, in June 2004 Verdonk was smeared with ketchup
by two members of an extreme left organisation. These small incidents, combined with the murders of Pim Fortuyn
in 2002 and Theo van Gogh
in 2004 were reasons for the Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs to monitor Verdonk's security tightly. Since June 4, 2008 this monitoring has ceased by agreement in the Cabinet, since the threat level has gone down. Verdonk used the publicitary opportunity to discuss her own security in full parliamentary session on the following day.
and Gerrit Zalm
, deputy prime minister. Verdonk decided, based on a recent ruling by the Hoge Raad (Supreme court), that Hirsi Ali never had acquired Dutch citizenship. According to the Hoge Raad, unless very special circumstances have arisen, a decision to grant someone Dutch citizenship cannot be valid if the subject had lied about his or her name and date of birth. In a broadcast on the Dutch public network, Hirsi Ali had declared that she had lied about her name and date of birth during the procedure. The decision by Verdonk caused a lot of controversy: VVD-deputy prime minister Zalm said he was surprised that events known for years suddenly resulted in action by Verdonk two days after a television broadcast about Hirsi Ali's past. He said Verdonk has disqualified herself from being #1 candidate for the VVD in the coming elections. In a session in parliament on the issue of Hirsi Ali's citizenship (a unique event in itself), Verdonk stated that she had no choice in this matter because Hirsi Ali's passport was issued with an incorrect name and incorrect date of birth. Some members of parliament suggested that Verdonk's stern actions were a result of her political ambitions in the 2006 VVD leadership elections. The result of the debate was that Verdonk promised to have another look at the case and see if there was a way to have Hirsi Ali keep her citizenship.
On June 27, 2006 Verdonk informed parliament of her decision to allow MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali
her Dutch passport. According to Verdonk, Hirsi Ali had presented to her new convincing evidence regarding the appropriateness of her last name and on retrospection the false date of birth did not carry that much weight. The next day, a parliamentary debate took place, in which minister Verdonk and prime-minister Jan Peter Balkenende were questioned by the parliament about the decision. Although the debate for a long time seemed to be stalwart, it took a quite drastic turn when the prime-minister, at the end of the first period of the debate, stated that Hirsi Ali had to sign a letter in which she took the blame for the whole situation in order to retain her citizenship. Otherwise, the solution would not be acceptable for minister Verdonk. In the second period of the debate, a vote of no confidence was proposed by the green party GroenLinks, which was, among others, supported by the Balkenende cabinet coalition partner Democrats 66
(D66). The vote did not meet the required majority though, as the right-wing populist LPF opposed it. Because a coalition partner supported the motion—a unique situation in itself for Dutch politics—the Balkenende cabinet had to decide if this had consequences for Rita Verdonk as minister, and the second Balkenende cabinet
.
Van Beek, a MP for the VVD, stated after the debate that it would be almost unthinkable that if Verdonk resigned, the cabinet would stay intact, as one the coalition partners of the cabinet had lost its confidence in the minister. D66, feeling unsatisfied that minister Verdonk did not resign because of the debate, withdrew its support for the cabinet, resulting in its fall on June 29.
a week earlier. Previously, on November 1, Labour Party leader Wouter Bos
proposed a motion for what in effect would constitute an amnesty for an estimated 26,000 asylum seekers who had asked for asylum more than five years ago and had their asylum applications turned down. This motion requested of the cabinet, "in anticipation of a definite discussion on the amnesty by the new Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber), not to take any irreversible measures with respect to this group". During her tenure as Minister for Immigration Verdonk had specifically cited the rejection of those 26,000 as an example of her toughening of the immigration laws (see Policy below). The motion was passed with a 75-74 majority, the VVD, Prime Minister
Balkenende
's CDA, and the right-wing PVV
and SGP
parties
dissenting. Both Verdonk, now 'demissionair', and Prime Minister Balkenende criticized the motion, and there was speculation that this could have led to Verdonk resigning from the cabinet. On December 3, after several meetings, the cabinet decided not to honor the motion because an amnesty would be impossible to implement. It agreed further postponement of expulsions until after a special parliamentary session to be held on December 12.
During this December 12 session, a motion was proposed by the PvdA asking Verdonk once again not to take action on extraditions until the new cabinet was formed. This motion was again supported by all the left-wing
and centre-left
parties
and it passed with a slim 76-72 majority. Verdonk claimed this motion amounted to a de facto amnesty and affirmed her wel-known stance: any amnesty was unenforceable. She declared extraditions would continue after the debate, before cabinet could issue an official statement the next day. Verdonk also refused to postpone those extraditions for another 24 hours until a new debate could take place the next day. In reaction, the whole parliament asked for an official statement from the cabinet that same evening. Following an additional debate, during which Prime Minister Balkenende
again declared that Verdonk had the full support of the cabinet, a motion of no confidence
was accepted by the same coalition of left-wing parties. Before the vote took place Mark Rutte
declared that should Verdonk resign, all VVD ministers would join her. The cabinet was in a 10 hour meeting on December 13 before deciding that all ministers would stay on and that Hirsch Ballin would take over Verdonks responsibility for immigration. In exchange, Verdonk added Hirsch Ballin's justice department responsibilities over youth care, prevention and probation to her portfolio. Hirsch Ballin could then execute the December 12 motion started by the PvdA, and postpone the extraditions of asylum seekers based on humanitarian grounds such as the responsibility for under-age children, until a new cabinet was formed .
On February 22, 2007 Verdonk stood down as minister when the fourth cabinet Balkenende was installed. Her portfolios were taken over by Ella Vogelaar
(integration) and Nebahat Albayrak
(migration).
Verdonk's most discussed propositions and decisions are:
Minister Verdonk was called to parliament for the following issues:
As a minister, Verdonk has proposed the following, which have not become law:
Most of her executed policy comes down to a strict application of the Alien Integration Act of 1998 (Wet Inburgering Nieuwkomers
), which was introduced by Job Cohen
, the social democratic
State Secretary
for Justice
in the Cabinet Kok II.
as the lijsttrekker
of the VVD for the coming elections, at the time expected to be held 2006. Her direct competitors in the leadership election
were staatssecretaris of Education Mark Rutte
and MP Jelleke Veenendaal
. Although her political views on subjects other than immigration and integration had mostly been unclear, she was a likely candidate. Shortly after announcing she would be candidate, a poll for the RTL 4 News estimated that 56% of the people preferred Verdonk as the leader of the VVD. Rita Verdonk was advised by Kay van de Linde, who also played a part in anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn
's 2002 election campaign, which was cut short by his assassination on May 6. Several of her statements and policies seem to exploit xenophobic emotions in the country, according to her opponents. On an official visit to Morocco, when visiting a poor neighbourhood, she remarked "I do not understand why these Moroccans come to the Netherlands. There is so much work to do here". She also proposed a national code of conduct which would oblige everyone to speak Dutch in the streets.
On May 31, 2006, Verdonk lost out to Mark Rutte
in the 2006 VVD leadership election
with 46% of the vote.
De Telegraaf
reported on 23 June 2006 that Verdonk discussed policies with Marco Pastors of Leefbaar Rotterdam
. The news report fueled fears that Verdonk might leave the VVD in order to form a new right-wing political party allied with Leefbaar Rotterdam and Lijst Pim Fortuyn. Verdonk denied the rumour
In the 2006 election
Verdonk received a greater number of preference votes (620,555) than the VVD lijsttrekker
Mark Rutte
(553,200). As a direct consequence on November 28 she held a press conference in which she urged the party to rethink their policies via a special committee. She also expressed her desire to become party leader but would for the present remain loyal to Rutte. A few hours later on November 28, after meeting with the party, she withdrew both ideas. Chances of Verdonk to become party leader decreased with this action, described as an "attempted coup" by media and party members.
On January 21, 2007 NRC Handelsblad
profiled Verdonk (caption: Holland at my feet) observing that her election-campaign team was not resolved and that she was still determined to grab the VVD leadership possibly right after the March provincial
2007 elections in the event that her opponent Rutte would again perform poorly.
issue of 5 June 2007, Verdonk said the following about Mark Rutte: He is a decent VVD member, but he's not really right-wing. I really can't see how he would be. Rutte objected to this statement, but the prominent VVD elder statesman Hans Wiegel
defended Verdonk. At last, Verdonk apologised for her statement. After the controversy, the popularity of the VVD in the opinion poll
s decreased. Rutte gave Verdonk a final warning and said that VVD members had to "obey or get lost".
Around 21 June 2007, Radboud Magazine published an interview with Verdonk in which she said that the VVD was "hijacked" by "left-wing liberals", and that she wanted to "undo" that. Although Rutte had warned her before, he didn't take any action, because the interview was taken in April that year.
, leader of the PVV, was disappointed by this comment and said he still wanted to speak with Verdonk about a possible joint party. Prominent VVD members such as Hans Wiegel
and Frans Weisglas
spoke of a "disastrous" decision by Rutte. The next day, Verdonk said that she still needed some more time to think over her decision again, but Rutte declined this, and she was formally expelled from the parliamentary faction of the VVD on 14 September 2007.
In October 2007, the VVD party board gave her the option of either giving up her parliamentary seat, or face exclusion procedures from the party. Verdonk herself then announced that she would leave the party but stay in Parliament. After further consideration she announced the creation of a new political movement, Proud of the Netherlands
(Trots op NL), that was launched in April, 2008.
According to the result of opinion polls published on December 6, 2009, Verdonks movement Trots op NL would win one seat in the Dutch parliament. In the 2010 elections she won no seat.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician initially of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
(VVD) until she was expelled in October 2007, she later formed her own party Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not...
(Trots). She served as Minister for Integration and Immigration in Cabinets Balkenende II and III. During her time as Minister for Integration and Immigration she was considered to be the most powerful and influential Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
of the Cabinets Balkenende II
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
and III
Third Balkenende cabinet
The third Balkenende cabinet was formed on 7 July 2006 after a crisis in and the subsequent resignation of the second Balkenende cabinet. This demissionary minority cabinet of Christian Democratic Appeal and People's Party for Freedom and Democracy was negotiated by former prime minister Ruud...
. In 2006 after the Minister of Justice Piet Hein Donner
Piet Hein Donner
Jan Pieter Hendrik "Piet Hein" Donner is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He is the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Rutte since October 14, 2010....
resigned following a Netherlands Safety Board enquiry into a fire at a cell block near Schiphol Airport, she served as Minister of Justice from September 21, 2006 til September 22, 2006.
After the Dutch general election of 2006
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
lost seats and became the leading Opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
party against the Cabinet Balkenende IV
Fourth Balkenende cabinet
The fourth Balkenende cabinet or Balkenende IV is the previous Dutch coalition cabinet formed by the political parties Christian Democratic Appeal , Labour Party , and ChristianUnion . The cabinet succeeded the third Balkenende cabinet following the 2006 election, and was installed by Queen Beatrix...
. Verdonk became a Member of the House of Representatives, but after continuing disagreement with Party leader
Party leader
In politics, the party leader is the most powerful official within a political party.The party leader is typically responsible for managing the party's relationship with the general public. As such, he or she will take a leading role in developing and communicating party policy, especially election...
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
she was expelled from the parliamentary faction of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
on September 13, 2007. One month later she cancelled her membership, after a reconciliation attempt failed and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
party board initiated a procedure of exclusion. In October 2007, she announced the creation of her own political movement, Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not...
(Dutch: Trots op Nederland). She was the Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
of the Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not...
party for the Dutch general election of 2010
Dutch general election, 2010
The 2010 Dutch general election was held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010. After the fall of the cabinet Balkenende IV on 20 February, Queen Beatrix accepted the resignation of the Labour Party ministers on 23 February...
, but didn't win any seats. On October 21, 2011 she announced her retirement from politics, leaving the future of the Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not...
party unknown.
Early life
Maria Cornelia Frederika Verdonk was born on October 18, 1955 in UtrechtUtrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
, Verdonk attended High School at Utrecht's Niels Stensen College at the atheneum
Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs
Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs or pre-university secondary education is the highest variant in the secondary educational system of the Netherlands. After leaving elementary school students are enrolled in different types of secondary schools, according to their academic ability...
level. She went on to study sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, which at the time was considered left-wing, specializing in sociology of organisations and criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
.
Verdonk was member of a sub-faculty board of the University and a member of the activist group Bond voor Wetsovertreders (BWO; English: Union for Lawbreakers) which had close ties with the far-left Pacifist Socialist Party
Pacifist Socialist Party
The Pacifist Socialist Party was a Dutch left-socialist political party. The PSP played a small role in Dutch politics. It is a predecessor of the GreenLeft.-Before 1957:...
. Its 1977 manifesto included as the organisation's aims "to curb and/or prevent material damage and immaterial damage inflicted to individuals or groups in our society by the Dutch legal system". The BWO campaigned for detainee minimum wages, the abolition of censorship of letters for detainees and the right to unsupervised visits, amongst more issues.
The group visited inmates at a local prison and undertook legal interventions on their behalf. Verdonk participated in a non-violent human blockade during the Pierson riots of 1981, when plans for housing demolition to make room for a parking lot triggered violent civil unrest.
Because of her activism during this period, she earned the nickname "Red Rita." In 2002 she became member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
(VVD). In a 2006 article, some of Verdonk's friends and colleagues from her Nijmegen days expressed surprise at Verdonk's radical switch in political orientation after graduating in 1983. Some observed that Verdonk had never held outspoken left-wing ideals and was a critic of communist regimes, others hypothesized that it was part of a growing-up phase; a former treasurer of the BWO suspected that Verdonk had been a police informer all those years.
After graduating in 1983, Verdonk became trainee at the Department of Correction at the Ministry of Justice. In 1984, she became Assistant-Director at the Scheveningen Detention Centre. In 1988, she became member of the board of the Prison 'De Schie' in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. In 1992, she switched to the Ministry of Justice's department of Youth and Hospital Orders Institutions, where she reached the position of Vice-Director. In 1996, she went on to become Director of the Department of State Security of the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Between 1999 and 2003 she was Senior Manager / Director of consulting firm KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
(as of 2002, Atos KPMG Consulting
Atos Origin
Atos S.A. is an international information technology corporation which operates in 42 countries worldwide, with over 78,500 employees...
).
Minister for Integration
In 2003, Verdonk was appointed Minister for Integration and Immigration. She soon developed a reputation for toughness and outspokenness, with her uncompromising immigration policies earning her the nickname IJzeren Rita (Iron Rita). Verdonk enjoys a rare level of recognition and popularity amongst voters, but is also reviled by many as a populistPopulism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
with an impulsive style of governing. In a few incidents she was attacked physically for her policies, in June 2004 Verdonk was smeared with ketchup
Ketchup
Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
by two members of an extreme left organisation. These small incidents, combined with the murders of Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
in 2002 and Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh (film director)
Theodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...
in 2004 were reasons for the Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs to monitor Verdonk's security tightly. Since June 4, 2008 this monitoring has ceased by agreement in the Cabinet, since the threat level has gone down. Verdonk used the publicitary opportunity to discuss her own security in full parliamentary session on the following day.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
On May 16, 2006, Verdonk has been criticized by prominent members of her own political party, the VVD, MP Ayaan Hirsi AliAyaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
and Gerrit Zalm
Gerrit Zalm
Gerrit Zalm is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from May 27, 2003 until February 22, 2007 in the Cabinets Balkenende II and III. He served earlier as Minister of Finance in the Cabinets Kok I and...
, deputy prime minister. Verdonk decided, based on a recent ruling by the Hoge Raad (Supreme court), that Hirsi Ali never had acquired Dutch citizenship. According to the Hoge Raad, unless very special circumstances have arisen, a decision to grant someone Dutch citizenship cannot be valid if the subject had lied about his or her name and date of birth. In a broadcast on the Dutch public network, Hirsi Ali had declared that she had lied about her name and date of birth during the procedure. The decision by Verdonk caused a lot of controversy: VVD-deputy prime minister Zalm said he was surprised that events known for years suddenly resulted in action by Verdonk two days after a television broadcast about Hirsi Ali's past. He said Verdonk has disqualified herself from being #1 candidate for the VVD in the coming elections. In a session in parliament on the issue of Hirsi Ali's citizenship (a unique event in itself), Verdonk stated that she had no choice in this matter because Hirsi Ali's passport was issued with an incorrect name and incorrect date of birth. Some members of parliament suggested that Verdonk's stern actions were a result of her political ambitions in the 2006 VVD leadership elections. The result of the debate was that Verdonk promised to have another look at the case and see if there was a way to have Hirsi Ali keep her citizenship.
On June 27, 2006 Verdonk informed parliament of her decision to allow MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Magan Ali is a Somali-Dutch feminist and atheist activist, writer, politician who strongly opposes circumcision and female genital cutting. She is the daughter of the Somali politician and opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse and is a founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA...
her Dutch passport. According to Verdonk, Hirsi Ali had presented to her new convincing evidence regarding the appropriateness of her last name and on retrospection the false date of birth did not carry that much weight. The next day, a parliamentary debate took place, in which minister Verdonk and prime-minister Jan Peter Balkenende were questioned by the parliament about the decision. Although the debate for a long time seemed to be stalwart, it took a quite drastic turn when the prime-minister, at the end of the first period of the debate, stated that Hirsi Ali had to sign a letter in which she took the blame for the whole situation in order to retain her citizenship. Otherwise, the solution would not be acceptable for minister Verdonk. In the second period of the debate, a vote of no confidence was proposed by the green party GroenLinks, which was, among others, supported by the Balkenende cabinet coalition partner Democrats 66
Democrats 66
Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an...
(D66). The vote did not meet the required majority though, as the right-wing populist LPF opposed it. Because a coalition partner supported the motion—a unique situation in itself for Dutch politics—the Balkenende cabinet had to decide if this had consequences for Rita Verdonk as minister, and the second Balkenende cabinet
Second Balkenende cabinet
The second cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands formed on 27 May 2003. It consisted of three political parties: People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Christian Democratic Appeal , and Democrats 66 , which is the smallest of the three.On 29 June 2006, D66 dropped its support for...
.
Van Beek, a MP for the VVD, stated after the debate that it would be almost unthinkable that if Verdonk resigned, the cabinet would stay intact, as one the coalition partners of the cabinet had lost its confidence in the minister. D66, feeling unsatisfied that minister Verdonk did not resign because of the debate, withdrew its support for the cabinet, resulting in its fall on June 29.
Outgoing Minister
On November 30, 2006 the new parliament was sworn in as the result of electionsDutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
a week earlier. Previously, on November 1, Labour Party leader Wouter Bos
Wouter Bos
Wouter Jacob Bos is a Dutch management consultant and former politician of the Labour Party . He was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende IV from February 22, 2007 till February 23, 2010...
proposed a motion for what in effect would constitute an amnesty for an estimated 26,000 asylum seekers who had asked for asylum more than five years ago and had their asylum applications turned down. This motion requested of the cabinet, "in anticipation of a definite discussion on the amnesty by the new Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber), not to take any irreversible measures with respect to this group". During her tenure as Minister for Immigration Verdonk had specifically cited the rejection of those 26,000 as an example of her toughening of the immigration laws (see Policy below). The motion was passed with a 75-74 majority, the VVD, Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
's CDA, and the right-wing PVV
Party for Freedom
The Party for Freedom is a Dutch right-wing political party. Founded in 2005 as the successor to Geert Wilders' one-man party in the House of Representatives, it won nine seats in the 2006 general election, making it the fifth largest party in parliament, and third largest opposition party. It...
and SGP
Reformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition...
parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
dissenting. Both Verdonk, now 'demissionair', and Prime Minister Balkenende criticized the motion, and there was speculation that this could have led to Verdonk resigning from the cabinet. On December 3, after several meetings, the cabinet decided not to honor the motion because an amnesty would be impossible to implement. It agreed further postponement of expulsions until after a special parliamentary session to be held on December 12.
During this December 12 session, a motion was proposed by the PvdA asking Verdonk once again not to take action on extraditions until the new cabinet was formed. This motion was again supported by all the left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
and centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and it passed with a slim 76-72 majority. Verdonk claimed this motion amounted to a de facto amnesty and affirmed her wel-known stance: any amnesty was unenforceable. She declared extraditions would continue after the debate, before cabinet could issue an official statement the next day. Verdonk also refused to postpone those extraditions for another 24 hours until a new debate could take place the next day. In reaction, the whole parliament asked for an official statement from the cabinet that same evening. Following an additional debate, during which Prime Minister Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
again declared that Verdonk had the full support of the cabinet, a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
was accepted by the same coalition of left-wing parties. Before the vote took place Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
declared that should Verdonk resign, all VVD ministers would join her. The cabinet was in a 10 hour meeting on December 13 before deciding that all ministers would stay on and that Hirsch Ballin would take over Verdonks responsibility for immigration. In exchange, Verdonk added Hirsch Ballin's justice department responsibilities over youth care, prevention and probation to her portfolio. Hirsch Ballin could then execute the December 12 motion started by the PvdA, and postpone the extraditions of asylum seekers based on humanitarian grounds such as the responsibility for under-age children, until a new cabinet was formed .
On February 22, 2007 Verdonk stood down as minister when the fourth cabinet Balkenende was installed. Her portfolios were taken over by Ella Vogelaar
Ella Vogelaar
Drs. Catharina Pieternella Vogelaar was minister of Integration and Housing in the Fourth cabinet Balkenende for the PvdA from February 22, 2007 to November 13, 2008...
(integration) and Nebahat Albayrak
Nebahat Albayrak
Nebahat Albayrak is a Turkish-Dutch politician and former civil servant. As a member of the Dutch Labour Party she is a former State Secretary for Justice in the Netherlands. Since May 12, 2010 she has been an MP. From April till August 2011 she was on maternity leave...
(migration).
Policy
- In order to reduce migration through marriage, she has proposed that partners of Dutch citizens who come out of EU are only allowed to immigrate into the Netherlands if the Dutch partner earns more than 120% of the minimum income.
- She refused to grant an amnesty to around 26,000 asylum seekers who had their asylum application turned down but who have been living in the Netherlands for more than 5 years. Since they had entered the Netherlands before the new Foreigner law, a special arrangement was required. Instead of an amnesty Verdonk chose a case-by-case approach.
- To integrate migrants into the Dutch society, every person who wants to immigrate into the Netherlands must pass an integration test, except for those who come from other European Union-member states, United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand (these immigrants must still take a year of integration classes). It tests knowledge of the Dutch languageDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, political systemPolitics of the NetherlandsThe politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
and social conventions. The test must be taken before entering the Netherlands, preferably in a Dutch embassy in the country of origin. Migrants who come from an EU state, United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and new Zealand cannot take this integration test, even if they want to. - "Oudkomers", migrants who have lived in the Netherlands for a long time, but are not "integrated", are also requested to take the exam. She has also attempted to apply make these tests mandatory for Dutch nationals who were born and raised outside the Netherlands . The constitutionality of these tests, especially its application to oudkomers and Dutch nationals has been questioned both by the Council of StateDutch Council of StateIn the Netherlands, the Council of State is a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience...
, which advises government on all proposed laws, and various parties in the parliament including the VVD, her own party. These proposals will come into effect in January 2007.
Minister Verdonk was called to parliament for the following issues:
- In October 2005 it was discovered that civil servants of the Immigration & Naturalisation Services had informed the Congolese embassy and authorities that several of the people sent back to the Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the CongoThe Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
had claimed asylum in the Netherlands. This information is considered confidential and should not have been disclosed to the Congolese authorities. Verdonk at first denied any wrongdoing on behalf of herself or her civil servants, but later admitted that she had lied and that in a several cases the Congolese embassy had been informed of the fact that several of the returnees had applied for asylum in the Netherlands. According to members of the opposition this information could put returnees (in this case to Congo) at risk of torture but no evidence of this has been put forward by any party or organisation. Verdonk maintains that no other sensitive information was transferred to the Congolese authorities in accordance with the findings of a special committee (Commissie Havermans). - In December 2005, a cell-complex for denied refugees at Amsterdam Airport burned down after a fire had been started by one of the refugees. Eleven refugees died, and surviving refugees reported that they had to wait more than 45 minutes before being released from their cell. Also a man suspected of connections with terrorist organizations had been able to escape. Before the fire's investigation was completed, Verdonk stated that prison workers adequately handled the circumstances. Subsequently, in September 2006, she granted temporary stay permits to many of the victims of the Schiphol airport detention center fire, overriding the court hearing procedures.
As a minister, Verdonk has proposed the following, which have not become law:
- In October 2005, Verdonk proposed a ban on MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
women wearing the burqaBurqaA burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic religion to cover their bodies in public places. The burqa is usually understood to be the woman's loose body-covering , plus the head-covering , plus the face-veil .-Etymology:A speculative and unattested etymology...
in public places, on the grounds that the burqa, which covers the face, is a security risk since suicide bombersSuicide BombersSuicide Bombers is the name of a 2005 EP by Leæther Strip. For the Australian hardcore band see Suicide Bombers -Track listing:# Suicide Bombers# Suicide Bombers # The Shame Of A Nation # This Is Where I Wanna Be...
could use it as a disguise. She also cancelled a meeting with Dutch Muslim leaders when one (of the 30) of them would not shake handsHandshakeA handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands.-History:...
with her, because she is a woman. She has said that "the time for cosy tea-drinking" Muslim groups had passed. - In January 2006, Verdonk proposed the adoption of a national code of conduct, listing the most important conventions of Dutch society, to facilitate the integration of migrants. She was inspired by a similar initiative undertaken by the Rotterdam municipality. One of the obligations would be for everybody to speak the Dutch language in the streets.
- Upon receiving Dutch citizenship, immigrants would have to sing the first stanza of the national anthem, the WilhelmusWilhelmusWilhelmus van Nassouwe, usually known just as the Wilhelmus , , is the national anthem of the Netherlands and is the oldest national anthem in the world though the words of the Japanese national anthem date back to the ninth century...
. - In March 2006, Verdonk considered sending homosexual asylum seekers from IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
back because they are no longer prosecuted, despite the general public conception that acts of homosexuality were still punishable by death. She noted that homosexuality in itself is not punishable by death sentence in Iran. In response to parliamentary criticism, the Minister announced on March 4 that all asylum cases involving homosexual Iranians would be assessed on an individual basis. It is worth noting that this policy initially earned her a position in the Human Rights WatchHuman Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
Hall of Shame.
Most of her executed policy comes down to a strict application of the Alien Integration Act of 1998 (Wet Inburgering Nieuwkomers
Wet Inburgering Nieuwkomers
The Law on integration obliges most immigrants who are not citizens of the EU, Switzerland, Turkey, or the European Economic Area countries to learn Dutch and pass an exam within a few years of their arrival in the Netherlands....
), which was introduced by Job Cohen
Job Cohen
Marius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour...
, the social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
State Secretary
State Secretary (Netherlands)
State Secretary is the title of a junior member of the Dutch or Belgian cabinet. Other terms for the title are deputy minister, junior minister or vice-minister...
for Justice
Ministry of Justice (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Security and Justice is the Dutch ministry of justice. Until 14 October 2010, the ministry was just called Ministry of Justice , but at the start of the Rutte cabinet, the name changed because it had taken over some public safety duties from the Ministry of the Interior...
in the Cabinet Kok II.
Criticism
- Verdonk's eviction policies were criticised in the TV series 26,000 gezichten (26,000 faces), in which the personal lives of these people were shown, in hopes that public opinion would change when people saw that these 26,000 were mostly ordinary, friendly people.
- In January 2006, Verdonk received the negative Dutch Big Brother Award for "promoting privacy violations".
- In Amnesty International's magazine Wordt Vervolgd, former threefold Prime Minister and UN High Commissioner For Refugees Ruud LubbersRuud LubbersRudolphus Franciscus Marie "Ruud" Lubbers is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from November 4, 1982 until August 22, 1994....
said that "Verdonk should not finish her job" and "The Netherlands is in a spasm (...) It would help if we could 'de-Verdonk' the situation". - In December 2006, Verdonk was elected 'worst politician' by her colleague members of parliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, in a poll by the current affairs television program Een Vandaag, qualifying her as an 'elephant in a china cabinet' (a Dutch expression similar in meaning to the English idiomIdiomIdiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
'a bull in a china shop'), ruthless and incompetent. In a similar poll, the program's viewers put Verdonk in second placed on both the 'best politician' and 'worst politician' lists.
2006 Bid for VVD leadership
On April 4, 2006, Verdonk announced her ambition to become political leader and to succeed Jozias van AartsenJozias van Aartsen
Jozias Johannes van Aartsen is a Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He is the Mayor of the Hague since March 27, 2008....
as the lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
of the VVD for the coming elections, at the time expected to be held 2006. Her direct competitors in the leadership election
2006 VVD leadership election
The Dutch liberal party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy announced the results of its lijsttrekker election on 31 May 2006. Mark Rutte, the staatssecretaris for Higher Education and Science closely beat the Minister without Portfolio for Migration and Integration, Rita Verdonk and the...
were staatssecretaris of Education Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
and MP Jelleke Veenendaal
Jelleke Veenendaal
Jelleke Veenendaal is a Dutch politician and member of House of Representatives for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ....
. Although her political views on subjects other than immigration and integration had mostly been unclear, she was a likely candidate. Shortly after announcing she would be candidate, a poll for the RTL 4 News estimated that 56% of the people preferred Verdonk as the leader of the VVD. Rita Verdonk was advised by Kay van de Linde, who also played a part in anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
's 2002 election campaign, which was cut short by his assassination on May 6. Several of her statements and policies seem to exploit xenophobic emotions in the country, according to her opponents. On an official visit to Morocco, when visiting a poor neighbourhood, she remarked "I do not understand why these Moroccans come to the Netherlands. There is so much work to do here". She also proposed a national code of conduct which would oblige everyone to speak Dutch in the streets.
On May 31, 2006, Verdonk lost out to Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
in the 2006 VVD leadership election
2006 VVD leadership election
The Dutch liberal party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy announced the results of its lijsttrekker election on 31 May 2006. Mark Rutte, the staatssecretaris for Higher Education and Science closely beat the Minister without Portfolio for Migration and Integration, Rita Verdonk and the...
with 46% of the vote.
De Telegraaf
De Telegraaf
De Telegraaf is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper, with a daily circulation of approximately . De Telegraaf is based in Amsterdam...
reported on 23 June 2006 that Verdonk discussed policies with Marco Pastors of Leefbaar Rotterdam
Leefbaar Rotterdam
Livable Rotterdam is a political party in the large Dutch city of Rotterdam. It won the council elections of March 2002 due to the charismatic leadership of Pim Fortuyn. This made it the city's largest political party, a position held for 30 years by PvdA...
. The news report fueled fears that Verdonk might leave the VVD in order to form a new right-wing political party allied with Leefbaar Rotterdam and Lijst Pim Fortuyn. Verdonk denied the rumour
In the 2006 election
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
Verdonk received a greater number of preference votes (620,555) than the VVD lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte
Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician who has been Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 14 October 2010, as well as Minister of General Affairs in the Rutte cabinet...
(553,200). As a direct consequence on November 28 she held a press conference in which she urged the party to rethink their policies via a special committee. She also expressed her desire to become party leader but would for the present remain loyal to Rutte. A few hours later on November 28, after meeting with the party, she withdrew both ideas. Chances of Verdonk to become party leader decreased with this action, described as an "attempted coup" by media and party members.
On January 21, 2007 NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...
profiled Verdonk (caption: Holland at my feet) observing that her election-campaign team was not resolved and that she was still determined to grab the VVD leadership possibly right after the March provincial
Provinces of the Netherlands
A Dutch province represents the administrative layer in between the national government and the local municipalities, having the responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance. The government of each province consists of three major parts: the Provinciale Staten which is the...
2007 elections in the event that her opponent Rutte would again perform poorly.
Controversies
In the HP/De TijdHP/De Tijd
HP/De Tijd is a Dutch weekly magazine, published by Audax Publishing. HP/De Tijd was founded in 1990, after a merger of the Haagse Post and De Tijd. It is conventionally considered to be one of the four most influential written media in its sector, along with De Groene Amsterdammer, Vrij Nederland...
issue of 5 June 2007, Verdonk said the following about Mark Rutte: He is a decent VVD member, but he's not really right-wing. I really can't see how he would be. Rutte objected to this statement, but the prominent VVD elder statesman Hans Wiegel
Hans Wiegel
Hans Wiegel is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from April 18, 1967 until December 19, 1977...
defended Verdonk. At last, Verdonk apologised for her statement. After the controversy, the popularity of the VVD in the opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
s decreased. Rutte gave Verdonk a final warning and said that VVD members had to "obey or get lost".
Around 21 June 2007, Radboud Magazine published an interview with Verdonk in which she said that the VVD was "hijacked" by "left-wing liberals", and that she wanted to "undo" that. Although Rutte had warned her before, he didn't take any action, because the interview was taken in April that year.
VVD member of Parliament
From November 2006 until September 2007 Verdonk served as member of parliament for the VVD in the opposition benches as the education specialist.Independent member of Parliament
On 13 September 2007, Verdonk criticised the direction of the VVD again. She said that the VVD was "invisible" in the debate about immigration. The party met to decide on the fate of Verdonk. Rutte said he wanted to expel Verdonk. Later that afternoon, news reports confirmed that Verdonk had been expelled. Rutte said that "Verdonk had damaged the reputation of the VVD due to remarks in the media far too often". Verdonk said she would continue in the House of Representatives and that she would not give up her seat. She also confirmed that she would not join the Partij voor de Vrijheid. Geert WildersGeert Wilders
Geert Wilders is a Dutch right-wing politician and leader of the Party for Freedom , the third-largest political party in the Netherlands. He is the Parliamentary group leader of his party in the Dutch House of Representatives...
, leader of the PVV, was disappointed by this comment and said he still wanted to speak with Verdonk about a possible joint party. Prominent VVD members such as Hans Wiegel
Hans Wiegel
Hans Wiegel is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from April 18, 1967 until December 19, 1977...
and Frans Weisglas
Frans Weisglas
Frans Willy Weisglas is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy . He served as President of the House of Representatives from May 16, 2002 until November 30, 2006. He was the first elected president...
spoke of a "disastrous" decision by Rutte. The next day, Verdonk said that she still needed some more time to think over her decision again, but Rutte declined this, and she was formally expelled from the parliamentary faction of the VVD on 14 September 2007.
In October 2007, the VVD party board gave her the option of either giving up her parliamentary seat, or face exclusion procedures from the party. Verdonk herself then announced that she would leave the party but stay in Parliament. After further consideration she announced the creation of a new political movement, Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands
Proud of the Netherlands is a Dutch Political party. The party was founded on 17 October 2007 by Rita Verdonk, who at that time was an independent member of the House of Representatives. Verdonk declared that her movement would consist of "sympathizers" and, like the Party for Freedom, would not...
(Trots op NL), that was launched in April, 2008.
According to the result of opinion polls published on December 6, 2009, Verdonks movement Trots op NL would win one seat in the Dutch parliament. In the 2010 elections she won no seat.