Concern, relief, and people jumping for joy. In Geldrop-Mierlo and in Eindhoven’s Kruisstraat, reactions to the election win of Geert Wilders’ PVV vary considerably.
In Geldrop, concerns dominate. A man wearing a dark alpino cap walking down the street shakes his head when asked about the election results. “I don’t like it at all. He is too fierce about the non-Dutch.” He is especially concerned for the younger generations. “I’m a bit older so that already makes a difference. But for the youth, I don’t like that.” A younger resident there puts his disappointment in a different way. “I personally find it very unfortunate that as the Netherlands we are more intolerant.”
Anti-Islamic
Many people in the region have particular reservations about the anti-Islamic principles of the party leader who garnered on Wednesday as many as 37 seats. “Islam is a religion that just has to be respected,” says a barber on Kruisstraat. Yet the real fear is not so bad. Many people secretly trust that the PVV’s policies may not be too bad in practice. “I think Wilders is going to be more lenient,” says one PVV voter. “You can’t expel people from the country at all,” says an oliebollen baker. “Everyone is equal, Muslim or not.”
“I was born in war and have seen all the misery. So yes, I worry but no, I am not afraid.” says the owner of a large barbershop near the Woensel Market “I just want a leader who loves everyone.”
Source: Studio040
Translated by Chaitali Sengupta
