Netherlands

With Europe facing two distinct challenges as a result of the ongoing refugee crisis (which in recent months has been tamed as a result Turkey withholding further immigrant outflows via the land route if only for the time being until Erdogan changes his mind and asks for more concessions), namely how to keep track of the hundreds of thousands of new immigrants, and also where to house them, the Netherlands has successfully killed these two birds with one stone.

Another Letter from the Netherlands

Dutch lawmakers are to abolish an old law in the Netherlands that makes it a criminal offence to insult foreign heads of state, in an attempt to prevent Turkish leader Erdogan from going on a rampage prosecuting Dutch citizens.  Justice minister Ard van der Steur confirmed to Parliament that citizens are now free to insult public officials as much as they wish. Dutchnews.nl reports: Earlier this week, MPs from the two Dutch liberal parties VVD and D66 called on the government to scrap the law, following Turkey’s attempt to prosecute a German comedian.

President Recep Erdogan’s critics on social media in the Netherlands are to be reported to Turkey’s General Consulate in Rotterdam, according to Dutch media. Russia Today reports: Ankara’s office has reportedly emailed a number of Turkish organizations in the European country, urging their employees to warn the consulate of any “insulting” messages received via personal online accounts. Turkey’s Consulate General to Rotterdam asks Turks in Netherlands to be informer about people who insult Erdogan!

Letter from the Netherlands, formerly known as Holland, the Home of the Dutch People

Observations about the vassal status of the Netherlands

Thank you for your excellent and powerful articles about Neocon policies and how they destroy world peace. As a Dutch citizen (having done an MBA in the US in the seventies) I’m appalled at the slide into sycophantic behavior of our elites and press. A few facts to illustrate: