Wilders acquitted of hate speech charges

“Wilders acquitted”, headlines NRC Handelsblad after the leader of the right wing PVV (Party for Freedom) was acquitted by a Dutch court of inciting hatred and discrimination towards Muslims. The presiding judge called Geert Wilders’s remarks “hurtful”, “shocking” and “offensive”, but said they were made in the context of a public debate about Muslim integration and multi-culturalism, and are for that reason not a criminal act. Wilders said he was relieved, but added that he will not change his tone: “Not in a hundred years!”

Most Dutch newspapers are content with the verdict. NRC writes in an editorial: “Let the voters decide about the opinions and remarks of the PVV leader and let’s have the debate with him in the place where it should be: in the political arena.”Trouw supports the court’s ruling: “No one in their right mind, who feels strongly about freedom of political and social debate, hoped that he would be convicted.” The left-leaning dailyDe Volkskrant agrees: “Wilders’s acquittal on all points proves that freedom of speech in the Netherlands has a broad definition.”

Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, says this is good news for Wilders – “I’ve seen what it did to him” – but NRC Handelsblad wonders if the PVV leader is altogether happy about it. As one member of the Socialist Party puts it: “Wilders will not be a martyr now. For his way of doing politics, I can imagine that he secretly thinks the acquittal is a pity.”