FIRST MOROCCAN MAYOR IN THE NETHERLANDS

Rotterdam City Council has voted Ahmed Aboutaleb as its mayor. The current deputy social affairs minister and member of the Labor party will be the first ever Dutch mayor of Moroccan origin. The appointment still has to be officially approved by the interior minister. Aboutaleb will succeed Conservative VVD party member Ivo Opstelten, who has been in office for ten years.

Rotterdam City Council said Aboutaleb is ‘extremely involved in local government’ and ‘an inspiration for all Rotterdam residents’. But the small rightwing party, Leefbaar Rotterdam, with a large representation on the city's council criticised the appointment of Ahmed Aboutaleb: ‘He lives in Amsterdam, he's an opportunistic career climber, an Ajax supporter and worst of all, he has two passports’, said leader Ronald Sörensen. read more (radionetherlands.nl)

ROTTERDAM CHOOSES DUTCH MOROCCAN MAYOR read more (nrc.nl)WILDERS SLAMS APPOINTMENT MOROCCAN MAYOR read more (expatica.com)
ROTTERDAM PICKS DUTCH MOROCCAN FOR MAYOR read more (dutchnews.nl)
FIRST MUSLIM MAYOR OF ROTTERDAM WILL NEED TO FIND ALLIES
read more (nrc.nl)

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October 20, 2008