Splinter parties miss out on financial subsidies

12 September 2006

AMSTERDAM — MPs Geert Wilders, Hilbrand Nawijn and others who broke away from their parties during this parliament have neglected to apply for government funding.

A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry confirmed all the splinter parties in parliament missed out on hundreds of thousands of euros by not applying under the law governing subsidies for political parties.

MPs who break away from their parties are entitled to a basic sum of EUR 173,000 a year and over EUR 50,000 more per seat held.

The Independent MPs and the parties they split from are: Geert Wilders (VVD), Hilbrand Nawijn (LPF), Gonny van Oudenallen (LPF), Ali Lazrak (Socialist Party) and Anton van Schijndel (VVD).

Former LPF leader Gerard van As announced on Tuesday he is leaving parliament with immediate effect. His seat returns to the LPF.

Van As left the LPF last month and associated himself with Nawijn’s new EEN NL. But he broke with Nawijn on Monday after his name was included on the new party’s electoral list.

Van As said he had told Nawijn quite clearly that he did not intend to stand for re-election.

Wilders, who has set up the Party of Freedom, claimed on Tuesday that he was told in 2004 he had no right to the subsidy. He left the VVD over his opposition to opening EU accession talks with Turkey.

Both Wilders and Nawijn are to raise the matter with the government.

Parliamentary chairman Frans Weisglas has suggested that splinter parties should no longer be tolerated. MPs should leave parliament after breaking with the party for which they were elected, he said.

Subject: Dutch news