Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende does not think the Netherlands’ stance on the security of former MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali is damaging the country’s reputation abroad, reports in Friday’s Volkskrant. According to the paper, Balkenende is obviously irritated by the question and his reply is a short ‘no’. Earlier several political leaders said that the Netherlands’ refusal to pay for Hirsi Ali’s protection in the US is damaging its image. The paper also reports that Hirsi Ali’s felt ‘some shame’ in appealing to the European parliament for the financing of her security.
Meanwhile, this source says:
One hundred MEPs have already signed a proposal for the EU to pay for her protection, and she reportedly only needs 300 more. However, Conservative Dutch MEP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert says in NRC.Next that she does not believe the European Parliament has the authority to actually carry out the proposal. "All of this is just token politics."