Rightwing Dutch politician and Islam critic Geert Wilders has made a name for himself with harsh one-liners about Muslims, migration and remarks about the "Islamisation of the Netherlands."

Speaking to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, the 44-year old Freedom Party leader, vilified as populist, prides himself on his "clear cut" expressions. He wants to end the "so-called pragmatic consensus mentality" that characterizes Dutch national culture.

Wilders says his goal is "preserving Dutch identity and Dutch values" - this is why he opposes continued immigration as well as far-reaching European integration.

Contradictions surface during the conversation.

While referring to problems Wilders says migrants have caused the Dutch welfare state, he also argues the welfare state often destroys people's personal drive to succeed, applauding the US for "not pampering" its citizens, particularly its migrants.

Likewise, Wilders supports the NATO-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan as a means to tackle Islamic fundamentalism and maintain international stability, but does not expect "modernisation of Islam within the next several thousand years."

Despite saying he supports the ISAF mission, Wilders voted against the extension of the Dutch ISAF mission to Afghanistan until 2010 back in November. "It is high time other countries also take responsibility and contribute to NATO," he says.

Wilders originally made a career in the Liberal VVD party, which removed him late in 2004 due to his "rightist" positions.

He subsequently established the Freedom Party and won nine of the 150 parliamentary seats in the 2006 elections. Many polls have suggested that he might receive up to13 seats if elections were held today.

"Freedom starts with the law and also includes embracing local norms and values," Wilders says, "including to act against a backward culture like that of Islam, an ideology which in my view wants to take our freedom away from us."

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