Fortuyn party likely coalition partner after major right turn

By STEPHEN CASTLE in Rotterdam

The Netherlands voted for a decisive shift to the right yesterday as the party founded by the maverick far-right politician Pim Fortuyn was on course to become the second-biggest force in Dutch politics.

Projections last night showed the centre-right Christian Democrats were clear winners in yesterday's elections, held only nine days after the murder of Fortuyn, and were expected to clinch 43 of the 150 seats in Parliament.

But they will now be under massive pressure to form a coalition with Fortuyn's followers.

Yesterday's result was a rout for the Social Democrats of the PvdA party, which after leading the country for eight years, are now out of office. They were predicted to win just 23 seats, almost half their tally last time.

The outcome was described as the worst defeat for Prime Minister Wim Kok's party since World War II. It tied with the Liberal Party, its partner in the outgoing coalition government, for third place with 23 seats.

Last night Ad Melkert, who had hoped to become prime minister, resigned as PvdA chairman.



Christian Democrats leader Jan Peter Balkenende was non-committal about his future coalition partners, but argued that "citizens want a different kind of politics". The rejection of the Social Democrats makes a coalition of the Christian Democrats, the Liberals and the Lijst Fortuyn likely.

Balkenende, who has benefited from Fortuyn's campaigning, said his party "will put our ideas forward and we will see with whom we can reach an agreement".

Asked if he would team up with Fortuyn's party, he said: "Looking at the results, the voters have given a clear signal. But we'll have to discuss proposals and stability, especially with LPF."

Coalition-building in the fragmented Dutch political arena is a slow process and often takes two to three months.



Voting was brisk at the polls and turnout was estimated at about 80 per cent.

Fortuyn, a flamboyant politician, was killed on May 6 by a lone gunman after a radio interview.

Yesterday's vote will be watched closely in European capitals, coming in the wake of the French presidential elections in which 5.8 million people voted for Le Pen, of the far-right National Front, in the second round against President Jacques Chirac.

Elections last year in Italy and Denmark also ousted the centre-left and brought more hardline right-wingers close to government.

The electoral earthquake in the Netherlands is likely to mean a toughening of immigration policy, with tighter curbs on asylum-seekers, perhaps similar to those introduced in Denmark after its change of government.

Policy towards European integration may also be hardened.

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