Dutch Catholic reaction to populist’s defeat
March 17, 2017
Anna Kruse, a spokeswoman for the Dutch episcopal conference, said that the bishops would not issue a statement in reaction to the victory of Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the March 15 election.
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Rutte’s opponent was Geert Wilders, a populist candidate who had spoken out against the “Islamization of the Netherlands.”
Kruse hinted that the bishops were pleased with the outcome: she recalled that they had urged voters not to “indulge in anger and intolerance.”
“Although it’s hard to say how much influence the Church had on the outcome, our own pre-election statements were received positively and clearly appealed to Catholics, who form a significant part of the electorate,” she added.
The nation of 17 million is 28% Catholic and 19% Protestant, with 42% professing no religion.
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Further information:
- Dutch Church’s relief over election results tempered by Catholic support for populist (Catholic Register)
- Vatican newspaper: stakes high in Dutch election (CWN, 3/16)
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Posted by: [email protected] -
Mar. 18, 2017 11:44 PM ET USA
They will be sorry. See how long it takes before trouble starts.