The Dutch Have Become More Conservative. Is Europe Next?(Periscope; Ideology)

Byline: Thijs Niemantsverdriet

Progressive Dutch social attitudes on hot-button issues like drug legalization, euthanasia and gay rights may seem quirky to foreigners. But where the Dutch have boldly gone, other European countries seem to follow. Britain, Italy and Spain have all decriminalized the personal use of marijuana, and, like the Dutch, the Swiss have set up needle exchanges for heroin addicts. Spain now allows same-sex marriage. Berlin and Paris both have gay mayors. Doctor-assisted suicide is legal in Belgium.

But now the Dutch have turned to the right, making one wonder where Europe is headed. For years, authorities have been cracking down on the nation's famed "coffee shops," where the purchase and use of small amounts of marijuana is permitted. But two weeks ago the government also banned hallucinogenic mushrooms. Beyond that, while euthanasia is allowed (though tightly regulated), abortion, legal since 1984, is now coming under scrutiny. In February, a new, more socially conservative government led by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende announced it would review abortion's social consequences, raising the possibility of future restriction. The nation also has the dubious distinction of being at the forefront of anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly against ...