Why Thierry Baudet is bad news for women
Thierry Baudet is the big winner of the 20 March election. The man who claims that women have no ambition and mean ‘yes’ on sex when they say ‘no’. I'm just going to assume that everyone filled in the Stemwijzer nicely, I just fear that this part of Baudet has been underexposed.
Honestly? I had to drag myself to the ballot box. It was ten past eight when I got home, my ballot paper was still at the bottom of the mailbox and I didn't know which musty little room of which clubhouse I should be in. But I went, because I could not justify to myself not to go as long as there are still disadvantaged areas in the world where a woman has less say than a man. So, for the first time in my life, I stood in the football canteen in Nederhorst den Berg. Yes, that voting takes you places, it turns out.
Around ten, the first push message from RTL arrived: ‘National exit poll: VVD and newcomer Forum for Democracy biggest’. Prime Minister Rutte still seemed to be winning at this point, he came up for his speech to the accompaniment of ‘Sweet Caroline’ and also thanked those present on behalf of Caroliene. I laughed for a moment at his self-mockery, thought about what kind of day Caroliene was having after the conscious debate and was able to go to sleep peacefully, even if this FvD win in South Holland did nibble a little on my sleep. When I woke up this morning, one of the most misogynist men I have ever heard of turned out to be the big winner of the election. I suppose this eluded the 64 per cent of male FvD voters and 36 (!) per cent of female ones.
In case you immediately think you're dealing with a far-left voter (not that that's a bad thing, but then you're easily anti-Baudet): you're not. I just find Thierry Baudet intensely, intensely, intensely bad news for women. Not from hearsay, but by the blunt remarks Thierry from Heemstede himself made. I quote sir: “I do know that women generally excel less in a lot of professions and have less ambition. Often also have more interest in just more family-like things and so on.” Or to Matthijs van Nieuwkerk in De Wereld Draait Door: “Because we live in a time when we respect women and don't do anything against their will, we no longer know how to flirt. If a woman says ‘no’, you shouldn't think: oh, she doesn't want it, you should say: ‘Honey, we're going to have another drink.’ Just insist a bit more.” And I don't want to deprive you of this statement from his pompous repertoire about women either: “The reality is that women don't just want to be treated with circumspect respect by their sex partner; that they don't want you to respect their ‘no’, their resistance at all: the reality is that women want to be overwhelmed, overpowered, yes, overwhelmed.” These statements Baudet made before he even had a chance, I thought.
After counting 98.5 per cent of votes, Thierry Baudet's party has 13 seats in the Upper House. I have been continuously slapping myself against the forehead since early this morning as our country pulled a Trump trick on us, forgetting how this man thinks about women. Voters are apparently behind his ideas on immigration, behind his plans for the climate, but would they have forgotten on the way to the ballot box that they are backing his entire line of thinking with their vote?
Our southern neighbours at Het Laatste Nieuws write that Baudet dreams of becoming a househusband with a wife who works. I don't know if there is a woman who aspires to this role (because, as Baudet himself said, women don't aspire to it very much), but maybe someone could sacrifice themselves so he could get out of politics again soon? It seems like the most convenient short-term solution for women. Can Mr Baudet go back to writing books at home in the hope that as few people as possible read his messed-up ideas about women.
Image: Instagram @thierry_baudet
