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Dirk Beljaarts, the Minister of Economic Affairs representing the PVV party in the Netherlands, has stated that there have been no internal discussions within the party regarding party leader Geert Wilders' controversial «fewer Moroccans» remark from the past.
Speaking on the NPO 1 program WNL Op Zondag, Beljaarts also mentioned that Wilders had not personally approached him about the issue, according to Dutch newspaper WNL.
The topic resurfaced after PVV State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Chris Jansen, came under fire this week. During an appearance on WNL's Goedemorgen Nederland, Jansen said he still personally supported Wilders' statement. This led to significant controversy, resulting in three separate parliamentary letters distancing the government from Jansen's comments.
Beljaarts addressed the situation, saying, «The State Secretary has been very forthright in retracting his words. A cabinet position has been issued on this. Then it's also time to move on». He added that Jansen acknowledged he shouldn't have made the comments and that his private opinion doesn't apply in his official capacity.
Despite GroenLinks-PvdA considering a motion of no confidence against Jansen, Beljaarts doesn't expect his colleague to resign. The minister believes the matter is settled from the cabinet's perspective, following Jansen's retraction and clarification.
