This name may not sound familiar to you, but he was the leader of the Netherlands' largest right-wing party, one which advocated closing the country's borders. Fortuyn's party recently swept the elections in Rotterdam, and was expected to poll strongly in the elections on May 15th.
He was also gay, unusual for a right-wing politician in this country but not unheard of in Europe (Austria's Jörg Haider has been the subject of rumors). Unlike far-right politicians in this country, neither are openly anti-gay, and in the Netherlands such a stance would not fly; the country legalized gay marriages and is known for its acceptance of homosexuality.
UPDATE-12:35pm—InstaPundit has an interesting quote on Fortuyn (from Financial Times) on how his sexual identity directed his politics. It's an interesting paradox.
UPDATE-5:33pm—Andrew Sullivan has a revealing elegy on Fortuyn. He was not far-right, except by Dutch standards. Elsewhere, he'd be considered a mainstream conservative.
Another thought—what will happen if the killer is an immigrant?
UPDATE-5:33pm—Thankfully, he's not. I'd much rather he be a standard left-wing nut job than an immigrant.
posted on May 06, 2002 11:07 AM
