The Prime Minister of the Netherlands affirms that “there is and was no racism” in the Government

It happens after a Secretary of State resigned due to alleged signs of racism in the Executive

Nov. 16. () –

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, has declared that “there is and was no racism” in the Executive after the Secretary of State for Benefits and Customs, Nora Achahbar, presented her resignation from the position as a sign of protest over alleged samples of racism in the Government after the violent incidents of the football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

“There is and was no racism in the Council of Minister or in the factions of the coalition,” said the president after a crisis meeting held in Catshuis, the official residence of the Dutch prime minister, late on Friday.

Schoof has stressed that Achahbar’s resignation has come “unexpectedly” for him and the other ministers. “In recent months I have known Achahbar as a warm, very involved person (…). His contribution has been indispensable, but, naturally, the Cabinet has no choice but to respect his decision,” he stated.

Asked by journalists about the alleged racist statements made within the Government, the Prime Minister decided not to respond: “I do not make statements of any kind about what has been exchanged or not. I repeat that there was no discourse of racism (. ..). I have said that I do not make statements about the Cabinet because everything we discuss is secret,” he reiterated.

For this reason, he stressed, the Government “decided to continue.” “It is a conscious decision, because we really believe that we can mean something,” he clarified.

Achahbar has reacted in this way to the information that has appeared over the last few days in various media outlets in the country in which alleged statements by several right-wing politicians were reported in which they accused Muslim migrants of anti-Semitism and held them responsible for the riots. from last week, according to NOS.

The resigned Secretary of State, born in the Moroccan town of Sidi Slimane, is a member of the New Social Contract (NSC), the most centrist party in the Dutch government coalition, led by Geert’s Party for Freedom (PVV). Wilders, whose extreme ideology caused his partners to invite him not to join the Cabinet.

The Dutch Executive has announced tough measures against anti-Semitism after the violent incidents last week during the Europa League football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, which left several injured and dozens of detainees, as well as complaints by Israel regarding an alleged case of anti-Semitism.

Achahbar’s resignation could put the weak government coalition in danger if the NSC decides to leave the Executive. For the moment, the rest of the government partners, such as the Popular Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Peasant-Citizen Movement (BBB), have not expressed themselves on the matter.