A double-edged sword! The Dutch centre-right and the ‘foreigners issue’

Abstract

We study the impact of the 'foreigners issue' on centre-right politics in the Netherlands. This issue concerns a complex of problems related to migration, asylum-seekers, nationalism, multiculturalism and European integration. The Dutch centre-right has moved towards hard-line and restrictive policies in these areas. By connecting issues of immigration to right-wing core issues of law and order, centre-right parties hope to win an electoral advantage and to find an answer to populist political entrepreneurs. However, the politicization of immigration issues is a double-edged sword. Centre-right parties can benefit since they own the law and order and nationalist issues. But hard-line right-wing stances on immigration and multiculturalism also go against core centre-right values and may scare away voters. Too harsh a law and order, nationalistic and anti-foreigner profile can rip the centre-right apart. The direction of Dutch immigration and integration policies partly depends on the type of solution the centre-right finds for this dilemma.

Populist radical right parties and mass polarization in the Netherlands

“…As a reaction to its popularity, mainstream center-right parties have immediately shifted their position rightwards on issues such as immigration (Bale, 2003;Van Kersbergen and Krouwel, 2008), a movement which was followed even by center-left parties (Van Spanje, 2010). The fact that voters chose the LPF because of its policy preference on immigration (Van der Brug, 2003) indicates that this is an example of a PRRP politicizing an issue over which the existing parties had a silent consensus.…”

Politics Divided from Society? Three Explanations for Trends in Societal and Political Polarisation in the Netherlands

“…This redistribution of votes towards the extremes, combined with a renewed focus on ethnic integration policy by the xenophobe Freedom Party, made many scholars believe that political polarisation had increased again in the Netherlands (e.g. Aarts et al 2007;Achterberg 2006;Van Kersbergen and Krouwel 2008). However, and importantly, the more sophisticated ER measure of polarisation reveals that the upsurge of the Freedom Party was not associated with an increase in political polarisation on ethnic integration policy.…”

“…This offers a unique way to compare societal and political polarisation trends. We focus on ethnic integration policy, because this policy issue is portrayed as being (both in the scientific community and in the public debate) the most controversial policy of recent years (Kleinnijenhuis et al 2003;Pellikaan 2002;Pennings 2005;Van Holsteyn and Den Ridder 2005;Van Kersbergen and Krouwel 2008). If political polarisation increases in the Netherlands, it must be visible at least for ethnic integration policy.…”

Polarisatie in de Nederlandse samenleving en politiek: het integratiebeleid

“…Deze bijdrage richt zich hierbij op het Nederlandse integratiebeleid. Het integratiebeleid wordt gezien als het meest controversiële beleid van de laatste jaren (Pellikaan, 2002;Pennings, 2005;Van Holsteyn & Den Ridder, 2005;Van Kersbergen & Krouwel, 2008). De veronderstelling is dat indien de polarisatie in Nederland toeneemt, dit in elk geval zichtbaar is in het integratiebeleid.…”