Wow, what a great and extensive update on the Dutch situation. Thank you, Bernard!
I would be careful with calling the BBB party 'populist', btw. This is often done to right wing parties that the left or the ruling parties don't want to have to deal with. It's a highly subjective qualification but also, it doesn't paint BBB in a fair light because it's a party that - despite rhetoric that you can disagree with (like I do often) - seems to so far have a constructive attitude; it's fair opposition in a parliamentary democracy.
There also seems to be a translation mistake, I think? (I'm Dutch so I could be wrong) Pouw-Verweij is quoted as saying 'transphobe bigot'; shouldn't that be 'transphobic bigot'?
Fair point, Renske. I don't see the term populist as necessarily pejorative. Often populist parties rise rapidly because existing parties become disconnected from the mainstream.
You need some shorthand description. Often the term used is "far right", but I think that's overused. It is possible to be populist Left.
As for the remark by Pouw-Verweij, she did say transphobe bigot. Perhaps it should be hyphenated.
Ah, so there my Dutch influenced my interpretation because in Dutch the word does have a quite pejorative feeling. Thanks for your reply, Bernard, and for the very informative article. I think it gives uninformed people a really good overview.
I hope people will now leave the thought alone that the Dutch are more thorough and conscientious than the rest of the world that works in/around gender clinics.
It’s true the term is used in a negative sense, but I agree with you — populist parties are often a democratic corrective when entrenched political elites have strayed too far from popular opinion & commonsense.
Wow, what a great and extensive update on the Dutch situation. Thank you, Bernard!
I would be careful with calling the BBB party 'populist', btw. This is often done to right wing parties that the left or the ruling parties don't want to have to deal with. It's a highly subjective qualification but also, it doesn't paint BBB in a fair light because it's a party that - despite rhetoric that you can disagree with (like I do often) - seems to so far have a constructive attitude; it's fair opposition in a parliamentary democracy.
There also seems to be a translation mistake, I think? (I'm Dutch so I could be wrong) Pouw-Verweij is quoted as saying 'transphobe bigot'; shouldn't that be 'transphobic bigot'?
Fair point, Renske. I don't see the term populist as necessarily pejorative. Often populist parties rise rapidly because existing parties become disconnected from the mainstream.
You need some shorthand description. Often the term used is "far right", but I think that's overused. It is possible to be populist Left.
As for the remark by Pouw-Verweij, she did say transphobe bigot. Perhaps it should be hyphenated.
Ah, so there my Dutch influenced my interpretation because in Dutch the word does have a quite pejorative feeling. Thanks for your reply, Bernard, and for the very informative article. I think it gives uninformed people a really good overview.
I hope people will now leave the thought alone that the Dutch are more thorough and conscientious than the rest of the world that works in/around gender clinics.
You say that like being Populist is a bad thing. It isn't.
It’s true the term is used in a negative sense, but I agree with you — populist parties are often a democratic corrective when entrenched political elites have strayed too far from popular opinion & commonsense.