Editing Pim Fortuyn (section)

==== Political career ====
[[File:Pim Fortuyn 1991.jpg|thumb|left|Pim Fortuyn in 1991]]
Fortuyn began his political career on the left and was initially a Marxist due to an aversion to the Dutch political establishment which he described as dominated by [[pillarization]] and a "[[Regenten|regent]] mentality." He was sympathetic to the Dutch Communist Party but chose not to become a member due to personal disagreements with the party leadership and self-identified as a Marxist without becoming active in any communist organisations. In the 1970s he joined the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] and became a [[social democrat]]. In 1986, his views shifted towards [[neoliberalism]] in the hope that the [[free market]] would lead to further individual emancipation, ending a perceived oppression by state [[bureaucracy]]. In 1991, he proposed firing half of all civil servants and promoted [[privatisation]] and [[decentralisation]].<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 150</ref> In 1992, Fortuyn wrote ''Aan het volk van Nederland'' ("To the people of the Netherlands"), in which he declared himself to be the spiritual successor of the charismatic but controversial 18th-century Dutch [[Patriottentijd|patriot]] politician [[Joan Derk van der Capellen tot den Pol]]. The book urges the already culturally emancipated citizen to use the free market to also liberate himself economically, from the [[welfare state]].<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 200</ref> In 1989, Fortuyn left the Labour Party and during the 1990s became a member of the centre-right [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]] and was briefly a political consultant to the [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] in the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/1966979.stm|title=At home with 'Professor Pim'|date=4 May 2002}}</ref>

Though on economic matters Fortuyn would largely remain a neoliberal,<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 154</ref> culturally he soon became strongly influenced by the [[neoconservatism|neoconservative]] political philosopher and chief editor of the weekly ''Elsevier'' [[Hendrik Jan Schoo]] who made him a columnist in 1993.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 164</ref> Schoo deplored that a progressive [[new class]] would have promoted multiculturalism, founding an anti-racist [[civil religion]] on article 1 of the Dutch constitution, forbidding discrimination.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 180-182</ref> Whereas in the early 1990s Fortuyn had held liberal views on immigration, this changed under the influence of Schoo.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 183</ref>

Dutch neocons understood that in the evermore [[secularisation|secularising]] Netherlands a change on the lines of the [[Reagan Revolution]] had become highly improbable. Women's rights, gay rights, abortion and euthanasia had been generally accepted. In his 1995 book ''De verweesde samenleving'' ("The orphaned society"), Fortuyn claimed that the progressive movement of the 1960s had eroded traditional norms and values. Both the roles of the "symbolic father" and the "caring mother" had been lost, leaving an orphaned population without guidance, to live out a meaningless decadent existence.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 217</ref> However, Fortuyn did not propose a return to old socially conservative or Dutch Calvinist and iconoclastic values and argued that the media, schools and artists should provide a moral leadership, explicitly promoting and defending the new values of modern Western society, constantly recreating the Dutch identity.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 218</ref> Fortuyn consistently retained a liberal stance on matters such as LGBT rights throughout his political career.

Adopting the philosophical analysis by [[Carl Schmitt]], it was assumed that such an identity could only be defined in [[antithesis]] to some actually existing concrete enemy. Inspired by [[Samuel P. Huntington|Samuel Huntington]]'s ''[[The Clash of Civilizations]]'', Dutch ethnicity was to be re-invented by identifying that enemy as Islam.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 219</ref> In his 1997 book ''Tegen de islamisering van onze cultuur'' ("Against the islamisation of our culture"), Fortuyn proposed that after the [[fall of communism]] a new adversary would be found in Muslim culture.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 220</ref> Fortuyn explained the global fundamentalist wave of the 1990s as a backlash against the insecurities caused by [[globalisation]]. The Dutch should counter [[Islamic fundamentalism]] by promoting and defending their own ''fundament'', Dutch culture, especially [[modernism]] and the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] values.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 221</ref> These should not yet be imposed on the Dutch population as a whole, with the exception of immigrants.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 222</ref> Whereas American neoconservatives promoted [[hard power]] policies in relation to the Muslim world, Dutch neocons favoured a [[soft power]] approach.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 214-215</ref> Shortly before the [[September 11 attacks]], Fortuyn called for a [[Cold War]] against Islam, meaning a non-military defensive enmity.<ref>Oudenampsen (2018), p. 215</ref> The attacks and the [[War on Terror]] made Islam a main issue in Dutch politics for the first time.

Fortuyn announced his intention to run for parliament in a television interview with ''[[EenVandaag]]'' in 2001, although he did not specify which party he would seek to stand as a candidate with. Although he was already in contact with the newly formed [[Livable Netherlands]] (LN) party, he also considered running for the [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] which he had worked as a consultant for, or even creating his own [[Electoral list|list]]. Livable Netherlands founder [[Jan Nagel]] subsequently invited him to run as party leader and Fortuyn was elected "[[lijsttrekker]]"  ([[lead candidate]]) by a large majority of party members at the LN conference on 26 November 2001, prior to the [[2002 Dutch general election|Dutch general election of 2002]]. In his leadership bid and general election campaign, Fortuyn attacked the mainstream parties on multiculturalism, immigration and law & order. He also called for less government interference and for a reform of the Dutch public health and education systems. Fortuyn concluded his speech by stating "at your service" in English which he later adopted as his campaign slogan during the general election.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/may/07/guardianobituaries.thefarright|title=Pim Fortuyn – obituary|work=The Guardian|date=7 May 2002|access-date=19 August 2019|first=Lang|last=Kirsty|archive-date=19 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819184342/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/may/07/guardianobituaries.thefarright|url-status=live}}</ref> He concluded his acceptance speech by saying the words in English that would become his slogan; "At your service!"<ref name=rvh45>{{harvnb|Rydgren|van Holsteyn|2005|p=45}}</ref> Support for LN rose dramatically during Fortuyn's brief leadership, climbing from 2% in opinion polls to about 17%.<ref name=m211>{{harvnb|Mudde|2007|p=211}}</ref>

On 9 February 2002, Fortuyn gave an interview to ''[[Volkskrant]]'', a Dutch newspaper (see below) regarding his beliefs on immigration and Islam. His statements were considered so controversial that the LN summoned him to an emergency meeting and then dismissed him as ''lijsttrekker'' the next day after Fortuyn refused to retract his statements. Against the advice of his campaign team, Fortuyn said in the interview that he favoured closing borders to Muslim immigrants and if possible he would abolish the "peculiar article" of the Dutch constitution forbidding discrimination (at the time it was generally assumed that he referred to Article 1, the [[equality before the law]]; it has been argued, however, that Fortuyn and the interviewer had confused this with Article 137 of the Penal Code, incitement to hatred).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/gs-b4919d81|title=Strafbare belediging|first=Marjolijn|last=Februari|date=16 February 2002|website=de Volkskrant}}</ref>

===== Founding the LPF =====
Having been rejected by Livable Netherlands, Fortuyn founded his own party [[Pim Fortuyn List]] (LPF) on 14 February 2002,<ref name=":4">Hippe, J., Voerman, G., & Lucardie, A. (2004). Kroniek 2002: overzicht van partijpolitieke gebeurtenissen van het jaar 2002. In G. Voerman (editor), Jaarboek Documentatiecentrum Nederlandse Politieke Partijen 2002 (blz. 104). (Jaarboek Documentatiecentrum Nederlandse Politieke Partijen). Documentatiecentrum Nederlandse Politieke Partijen "Op 14 februari richtten zij de Politieke Vereniging ‘Lijst Pim Fortuyn’ (LPF) op."</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-02-15 |title=Leidsch Dagblad {{!}} 15 februari 2002 {{!}} pagina 4 |url=https://leiden.courant.nu/issue/LD/2002-02-15/edition/0/page/4?query= |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=Historische Kranten, Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken |language=nl |quote=Pim Fortuyn doet mee aan de verkiezingen voor de tweede kamer onder de naam Lijst Pim Fortuyn. Hij heeft zijn partij gisteren ingeschreven bij de Kamer van Koophandel in Rotterdam}}</ref> taking many former LN members and supporters with him. Heading the list of the [[Livable Rotterdam]] party, considered to be the local counterpart of the LPF, he achieved a major victory in the [[Rotterdam]] municipal council elections in early March 2002 where Fortuyn was elected to Rotterdam's municipal council. The new party won about 36% of the seats, making it the largest party in the council. For the first time since the [[Second World War]], the [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] was out of power in [[Rotterdam]].

Fortuyn's victory made him the subject of hundreds of interviews during the next three months, and he made many [[News release|statements]] about his [[political ideology]]. In March he released his book ''The Mess of Eight Purple Years'' (''[[De puinhopen van acht jaar Paars]]''), which criticised the current political system in the Netherlands and was used as his [[political agenda]] for the upcoming [[2002 Dutch general election|general election]]. Purple is the colour to indicate a coalition government consisting of left parties (red) and conservative-liberal parties (blue). The Netherlands had been governed by such a coalition for eight years at that time.

On 14 March 2002, Fortuyn was [[pieing|pied]] by a left-wing activist from the [[Biotic Baking Brigade]] in The Hague. As a result, Fortuyn began to express a fear of being injured or assassinated and accused members of the Dutch political establishment of encouraging violence against him.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.expatica.com/nl/news/country-news/Fortuyn-smeared-with-cake_125856.html |title=The Complete Expat Guide to the Netherlands &#124; Expatica |access-date=9 June 2018 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142637/https://www.expatica.com/nl/news/country-news/Fortuyn-smeared-with-cake_125856.html |url-status=live }}</ref>