Editing Pim Fortuyn (section)

{{Short description|Dutch politician (1948–2002)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Pim Fortuyn
| image         = Pim Fortuyn - May 4.jpg
| caption       = Fortuyn on 4 May 2002, two days before his assassination
| birth_name    = Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1948|02|19|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Velsen]], Netherlands
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|2002|05|06|1948|02|19|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Hilversum]], Netherlands
| death_cause   = [[Assassination of Pim Fortuyn|Assassination]] (gunshot wounds)
| resting_place = [[San Giorgio della Richinvelda]], Italy
| other_names   = Pim Fortuijn
| alma_mater    = [[VU Amsterdam]] ([[Bachelor of Social Science]], [[Master of Social Science]]) <br /> [[University of Groningen]] (PhD)
| occupation    = Politician · civil servant · [[Sociology|Sociologist]] <br /> [[Board of directors|Corporate director]] · [[Political consulting|Political consultant]] · [[Pundit|Political pundit]] · Author · Columnist · Publisher · Teacher · professor
| party         = [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (1974–1989) <br /> [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] (mid 1990s) <br /> [[Livable Netherlands]] (2001–2002) <br /> [[Livable Rotterdam]] (2001–2002) <br /> [[Pim Fortuyn List]] (2002)
| signature     = Handtekening Pim Fortuyn.png
| module            = {{Infobox officeholder|embed=yes
| office              = [[Government of Rotterdam|Municipal Councilor in Rotterdam]]
| term_start          = March 6th 2002 
| term_end            = May 6th 2002
| predecessor         = 
| successor           =  Dries Mosch
}}
}}

'''Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn''', known as '''Pim Fortuyn''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈpɪɱ fɔrˈtœyn|lang|Pim Fortuyn.ogg}}; 19 February 1948 – 6 May 2002), was a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] politician, author, civil servant, businessman, sociologist and academic who founded the party [[Pim Fortuyn List]] (Lijst Pim Fortuyn or LPF) in 2002.<ref name="Margry">Margry, Peter Jan: ''The Murder of Pim Fortuyn and C's ollective Emotions. Hype, Hysteria, and Holiness in the Netherlands?'' published in the Dutch magazine ''Etnofoor: Antropologisch tijdschrift'' nr. 16 pages 106–131, 2003,[http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/meertensnet/file/edwinb/20050420/PF_webp_Engels_lang.pdf English version available online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329052521/http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/meertensnet/file/edwinb/20050420/PF_webp_Engels_lang.pdf |date=29 March 2017 }}</ref>

Fortuyn worked as a professor at the [[Erasmus University of Rotterdam]] before branching into a business career and was an advisor to the Dutch government on social infrastructure. He then became prominent in the Netherlands as a press columnist, writer and media commentator.

Initially a [[Marxist]] who was sympathetic to the [[Communist Party of the Netherlands]], and later a member of the Dutch [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] in the 1970s, Fortuyn's beliefs began to shift to the right in the 1990s, especially related to the immigration policies of the Netherlands. Fortuyn criticised [[Multiculturalism in the Netherlands|multiculturalism]], [[immigration to the Netherlands|immigration]] and [[Islam in the Netherlands]]. He called Islam "a backward culture", and was quoted as saying that if it were legally possible, he would close the borders for Muslim immigrants.<ref name="controversy">{{cite web |url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws/denhaag/1013147690985.html |title=''Volkskrant'' newspaper interview (summary) |access-date=12 February 2002 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020212063049/http://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws/denhaag/1013147690985.html |archive-date=12 February 2002 |language=nl}}</ref> Fortuyn also supported tougher measures against crime and opposed state [[bureaucracy]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/may/07/qanda.thefarright|last=Oliver|first=Mark|title=The shooting of Pym Fortuyn|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 May 2002|access-date=27 May 2019|archive-date=26 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526202317/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/may/07/qanda.thefarright|url-status=live}}</ref> wanting to reduce the Dutch financial contribution to the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/apr/14/andrewosborn.theobserver|last=Osborn|first=Andrew|title=Dutch fall for gay Mr Right|date=14 April 2002|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|access-date=5 June 2019|archive-date=26 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526202312/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/apr/14/andrewosborn.theobserver|url-status=live}}</ref> He was labelled a [[Far right|far-right]] [[populism|populist]] by his opponents and in the media, but he fiercely rejected this label.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/1966979.stm|title=Cf. this BBC interview|date=4 May 2002|access-date=21 July 2007|archive-date=20 October 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021020203934/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/1966979.stm }}</ref> Fortuyn was [[Coming out|openly]] [[Homosexuality|gay]] and a supporter of gay rights.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/may/15/thefarright.gayrights|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|title=Queering the pitch|newspaper=The Guardian|date=15 May 2002|location=London|access-date=5 June 2019|archive-date=26 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526202316/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/may/15/thefarright.gayrights|url-status=live}}</ref>

Fortuyn explicitly distanced himself from "far-right" politicians such as the Belgian [[Filip Dewinter]], Austrian [[Jörg Haider]], or Frenchman [[Jean-Marie Le Pen]] whenever compared to them. While he compared his own politics to centre-right politicians such as [[Silvio Berlusconi]] of Italy and [[Edmund Stoiber]] of Germany, he also admired former Dutch Prime Minister [[Joop den Uyl]], a social democrat, and Democratic U.S. president [[John F. Kennedy]]. Fortuyn also criticised the [[polder model]] and the policies of the outgoing government of [[Wim Kok]] and repeatedly described himself and [[Pim Fortuyn List|LPF]]'s ideology as [[pragmatism|pragmatic]] and not [[populism|populistic]]. He also became known for his unconventional and flamboyant way of debating which was considered unique in Dutch politics at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODW8uQTbhGw|title=Interview with Belgium news agency|website=[[YouTube]]|date=24 October 2008 |access-date=27 February 2021|archive-date=8 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708162030/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODW8uQTbhGw|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2002, his newly created LPF became the largest party in Fortuyn's hometown [[Rotterdam]] during the Dutch municipal elections held that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/may/07/thefarright.uk1|last=The Guardian|title=Dutch election to go ahead|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=7 May 2002|location=London|access-date=5 June 2019|archive-date=26 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526202313/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/may/07/thefarright.uk1|url-status=live}}</ref>

Fortuyn was [[Assassination of Pim Fortuyn|assassinated]] during the [[2002 Dutch general election|2002 Dutch national election campaign]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Simons|first=Marlise|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/international/europe/07DUTC.html|title=Rightist Candidate in Netherlands Is Slain, and the Nation Is Stunned|date=7 May 2002|access-date=5 May 2012|archive-date=2 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102220244/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/international/europe/07DUTC.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=James|first=Barry|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/news/07iht-dutch_ed3_.html|title=Assailant shoots gay who railed against Muslim immigrants: Rightist in Dutch election is murdered|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=7 May 2002|access-date=5 May 2012|archive-date=10 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410195631/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/news/07iht-dutch_ed3_.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Simons|first=Marlise|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/08/world/elections-to-proceed-in-the-netherlands-despite-killing.html|title=Elections to Proceed in the Netherlands, Despite Killing|work=The New York Times|date=8 May 2002|access-date=13 June 2010|archive-date=27 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027220257/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/08/world/elections-to-proceed-in-the-netherlands-despite-killing.html|url-status=live}}</ref> by [[Volkert van der Graaf]], a left-wing environmentalist and [[animal rights]] activist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/killer-tells-court-fortuyn-was-dangerous-20030329-gdgigf.html|last=The Daily Telegraph|title=Killer tells court Fortuyn was dangerous|date=29 March 2003|access-date=5 June 2019|archive-date=26 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526202328/https://www.smh.com.au/world/killer-tells-court-fortuyn-was-dangerous-20030329-gdgigf.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In court at his trial, van der Graaf said he murdered Fortuyn to stop him from exploiting Muslims as "scapegoats" and targeting "the weak members of society" in seeking political power.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/1425944/Fortuyn-killed-to-protect-Muslims.html Fortuyn killed 'to protect Muslims'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428020432/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/1425944/Fortuyn-killed-to-protect-Muslims.html |date=28 April 2018 }}, [[The Daily Telegraph]], 28 March 2003:
:[van der Graaf] said his goal was to stop Mr. Fortuyn exploiting Muslims as "scapegoats" and targeting "the weak parts of society to score points" to try to gain political power.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/27/netherlands.fortuyn.trial/ Fortuyn killer 'acted for Muslims'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210081312/http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/27/netherlands.fortuyn.trial/ |date=10 December 2008 }}, [[CNN]], 27 March 2003:
:Van der Graaf, 33, said during his first court appearance in Amsterdam on Thursday that Fortuyn was using "the weakest parts of society to score points" and gain political power.</ref> The LPF went on to poll in second place during the election but went into decline soon after before it was ultimately disbanded at a national level in 2008. Despite this, Fortuyn's ideas and legacy continued to have an impact upon Dutch politics. Observers have described his ideological influence as ''[[Fortuynism]]'' or the ''Fortuyn revolt.''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newcriminologist.com/article.asp?nid=870 |title=Jihad Vegan |access-date=6 December 2008 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721174143/http://www.newcriminologist.com/article.asp?nid=870 |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}, Dr Janet Parker 20 June 2005, New Criminologist.</ref>