Stores were not also used for a long time

Neither flowers nor plaque: difficult to locate, along Linnaeus Straat, East of Amsterdam, the place where was murdered just two years ago the filmmaker Theo Van Gogh. He had been a time to erect a monument on the place of the tragedy. But it will be eventually built more later in the Oosterpark, public garden bordering the broad avenue. Administrative problems delayed the work. May be ready for the third anniversary of the disappearance of the grandnephew of the famous painter. But nothing apparently press. If it is not question of forgetting, no one has desire, apparently too move past painful. As if the Netherlands had decided to turn the page. One of the more black in their recent history.

The murder of the Director by a Dutch Muslim of Moroccan origin who did not like his diatribes against Muslims had caused an unprecedented crisis in the Kingdom. Because he was following the execution of the populist leader Pim Fortuyn, another great slayer of islam. Because for the Dutch, it was an intolerable infringement of freedom of expression. And because it reflected the failure of integration policies conducted over the past thirty years. The bankruptcy of a "multicultural" model based on the respect of identities and the right to be different. The sanction of a too great laxity of the authorities. More than 700,000 people living in the territory, at the time, did not speak Dutch. And many Muslims were not reluctant to set foot on the foot the values of tolerance, essential for the Batavians. A problem in a country where 1 of the 16 million people refrained from islam.

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The populists in loss of speed

It was followed debate feverish on the difficulty of immigrants into society and to accept the rules. Serious questions on the Dutch identity and the national fact. And a form of withdrawal which had culminated in the resounding "nee" to the European Constitution in the referendum of June 1, 2005.

Two years after the death of Theo Van Gogh, these existential issues seem to be gone. The Dutch regained confidence in themselves, according to opinion polls. The problems of immigration no were, indeed, almost not discussed during the campaign for the legislative elections of today. "Integration issues are not, according to opinion polls, among the main subjects of concern to voters, said political scientist Maurice de Hond." While they were the dominant theme in the previous election in 2002. "Retirement, education, health, taxation have monopolized, this year the debate. "It's surprising as these major themes two years after the murder of Van Gogh, get little attention today," noted recently Wouter Bos, the leader of the labour party. With some bad faith.

"The major formations have made the deliberate choice of not talk about, note Wouter Van der Brug, Professor of political science at the University of Amsterdam. Because they share little or less the same ideas on this point. And that they do not want to play into the hands of extremists.

Very divided into loss of speed, the populists were good and evil to mobilize this year. The polls do that predict a very limited score. "Their anti-Muslim rhetoric does more", wants to believe the writer and academic of Moroccan origin Fouad Laroui. "It returned to what is usual Dutch politics: stories of big money", noted Sylvain Ephimenco, columnist for the daily newspaper "Trouw". "Everything has been said on the question of integration, he explains." The Pim Fortuyn burst onto the political scene has released the floor, put an end to decades of self-censorship. The Dutch have left everything they had on the heart. Sometimes violently. "The controversy is a little exhausted. And with it its champions. The MP of Somali origin Ayaan Hirsi Ali, screenwriter of the film of Van Gogh "Bid" and spearhead of the anti-islam crusade, left the Netherlands to the United States this summer. And the very controversial Minister of integration Rita Verdonk, so-called "Iron Rita", a former babysitter of often brutal prison in his words, rejected the head of the Liberal Party in the election list.

"Moderation, the search for consensus, dialogue took precedence over confrontation", notes Paul Schnabel, Director General of the social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). "The Dutch of strain understood that the immigrants would remain and that he would have to live with them, decrypts Coen Teulings, Director of the Office of economic policy (CPB) analysis. And immigrants have understood that they would stay and that they should be integrated.

Net economic recovery

Measures very restrictive for candidates for immigration, largely inspired by the ideas of Pim Fortuyn, have also adopted by the Government of outgoing (see box). And they have had immediate effect to drop claims for asylum and family reunification (main component of regular non-Western immigration). The latter "has fallen by 65 in two years", welcomed Rita Verdonk. "Citizens have had the impression, for once, to be heard in the political class," said Maurice de Hond. Radical Islamists who were preparing attacks were arrested and sentenced. "People are the part of things." "She understood that it was only a minority," provides Fouad Laroui.

Most importantly, the economic spectacularly bleakness in the Netherlands in two years. Growth is expected to reach 3 this year. The unemployment rate fell to 4 in October, according to Eurostat calculations. A rally "enjoyed in the first place low-skilled immigrants, often without a job", said Coen Teulings. Even if 16 of Muslims in the country are still without work. "The consumer confidence index is high, welcomes Martin Van Oijen, Economist at Rabobank.". Stores were not also used for a long time. "Public finances now appear a comfortable surplus. Welcome room for manoeuvre for the outgoing Government, which enabled some largesse (decrease of taxes and charges) to the approach of the elections. At the great satisfaction of the population.

Still many subjects of friction

But "it is very fragile, warns the sociologist Paul Scheffer. A new political assassination certainly replongerait the country in crisis. "Obviously, integration issues, very deep, have not been settled within two years. Many immigrants still live on the margins of the Dutch society. Crimes of honour in the construction of mosques, wearing of the veil, gender relations, Turkish community: subjects of friction remain numerous. And the frequent controversies. Just as the discrimination against the "allochthonous", in the search for employment including. "A strong anti-Muslim sentiment persists in the population and the political class," says Wouter Van der Brug. "Immigration remains a major cause of concern in public opinion," he says. Even if the debate on the subject is somewhat allayed.

There a fortnight, the Minister of housing, Pieter Winsemius, has even called for national mobilization for 140 neighbourhoods that threaten, in his eyes "to ignite". "We absolutely do not control the problem, he acknowledged. Neighbourhoods have become Weirs. The people have lost all hope. "A report considered excessive by many. Because, today, optimism seems to prevail in the Netherlands. "This company, Paul Scheffer, has more capacity to resolve the crises than she thought."