Why Did Fortuyn Offer The Dutch People?

The reason why Fortuyn's death was felt so intensely in Holland—and why people of all colors and principles have mourned him—is that he was seen as a politician who spoke with a directness that the average politician and orator lacked, and tackled issues which others tend to “sugar-coat”, in an effort to maintain political correctness. Furthermore, his supporters were drawn to the shaven-headed man’s style and wit. People responded well to his directness in amidst an age when politicians have essentially become slaves to the public, careful to upset the minimum number of people and attempt to occupy the middle-ground of politics. Fortuyn's popularity also involved the failure of others to speak the “saloon bar” language—a lack of success …show more content…
The simple, short answer is: political incorrectness. His team of supporters was evident—if it was possible for seventeen percent of the French electorate to select Le Pen on a ballot, why would the Dutch electorate prove to be different? The actual question is why the Netherlands never witnessed a politician quite like Fortuyn before. After all, Fortuyn's faithful candidates transformed into an unprecedented political party that Fortuyn named the Pim Fortuyn List. They all share common ideologies on immigration issues, which were central for Fortuyn’s electorate. If he had presented a political agenda without views on Muslim immigration, he would have lacked a unique quality that made him stand out as a candidate. Immigrant hostility opened the door for Fortuyn’s rise in influence. In fact, supporters speculate that had he not been murdered, he would have won the primary elections and become the Netherlands’ prime minister. The reason it opened the door for him as opposed to his competitors was because no other politician at the time was prepared to demolish ideological barriers. Fortuyn discovered that when working with a racist electorate, one could never go too far. Although there were other racists in the Netherlands before him, no politician paralleled the organization of match Jean-Marie Le Pen, and none possessed the keen media presence of …show more content…
Despite the controversy surrounding his political agendas, Pim Fortuyn’s outspoken character shined light on critical issues addressing liberalism, feminism, and most importantly: Muslim immigration. The assassination of Fortuyn united Dutch people of every persuasion, in order to ensure a downfall such as this did not reoccur. Past emphasis of the Dutch on tolerance has served as a medium to address crucial social problems that plague the nation to this day. As a popular leader in world-view, the disdainful reactions to his assassination clearly embody the sentiments of the Dutch who were not only happy to end political correctness, but also mourning the loss of the leader who took action to eradicate these political taboos. Pim Fortuyn’s legacy undoubtedly altered the Dutch political platform by not only introducing an analysis of interreligious coexistence, but also initiating critical discussions of controversial social