Anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders is seriously damaging the Netherlands’ reputation as a world economy, Bernard Wientjes, head of the country’s biggest employers organisation VNO-NCW says in an interview with Saturday’s Volkskrant.

For example, Wilders’ performance at a news conference a week ago during which he called Turkey’s prime minister Recep Erdogan a ‘total freak’ was ‘outrageous’, Wientjes said. ‘It really shocked the British press.’
The Volkskrant reports that Wientjes telephoned his Turkish counterpart after the news conference to try to explain the situation.
The damage Wilders is causing will eventualy have an affect on the Netherlands’ prosperity, Wientjes said. ‘The entire discussion about headscarves is irrelevant. But here is seems to be more important than anything else,’ he said.

Prosperity
‘But no where do you read that our prosperity is largely dependent on the rest of the world.’
Wientjes admitted the VNO-NCW would be forced to do business with Wilders if he becomes part of the next government. ‘But we would strongly advise anyone from joining forces with the PVV, based on our international position.’
In addition, the Dutch decision to pull out of Afghanistan will also have an affect on the image of the Netherlands as a world player, he said.
For example, the Netherlands wish to join the G20 discussions is now at risk, Wientjes told the Volkskrant.

Invitation
The Netherlands is not part of the G20 group of industrialised nations despite the size of its economy because the population is too small. But last year it was invited to G20 talks as an observer.
‘Our invitation to take part in the Toronto talks hangs by a silken thread,’ Wientjes said.

Last week, caretaker foreign minister Maxime Verhagen said Wilders’ actions were damaging the Dutch reputation abroad.