Germany lands itself with a debate on integration

Commenting on the integration debate in Germany triggered by Bundesbank board member Thilo Sarrazin's book, Elma Drayer draws parallels with the Netherlands in the daily Trouw: "He has brought up a subject that has long been taboo: the pathetic integration policies of the parties of the centre. In recent years we have often been told that we should be ashamed of ourselves. That Germany, of all places, was much less narrow-minded than we are. That integration ran smoothly there ... and the different segments of the population lived in great harmony. This was not the case here. After all, we had loudmouths like [Islam-critic] Pim Fortuyn, Theo van Gogh and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. And now we have Geert Wilders. ... That the discomfort with multiculturalism is now coming to the surface in Germany proves how stupid this analysis was. And of one thing we can be sure: things won't get any cosier over in our neighbouring country."

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