Fortunes of Fortuyn party in balance

The party needs a new face

"It's a wonderful result but there is no real joy," said the spokesman of Pim Fortuyn's party as the news of its unprecedented electoral success broke.

"We feel like orphans. We have lost our teacher."

There is not a minister among them

Pim Fortuyn

No-one at List Pim Fortuyn (LPF), based in a nondescript grey building in the middle of an industrial estate in the suburbs of Rotterdam, was answering the telephone on Thursday.

And while the websites of other parties in Wednesday's poll were adorned with victory statements, concessions of defeat, and thanks to their voters, the LPF homepage had not been updated for two days.

The party, credited with breaking the mould of Dutch politics, is a disparate band. No-one is clear about who among its list of political novices could represent it in government, or even who will take the place of its charismatic assasinated leader.

Newcomers

It appeared at one stage to have settled on Peter Langendam, a biologist and publisher, to lead the party after the elections. But he caused a scandal by blaming the government for creating an atmosphere of hatred against Mr Fortuyn that resulted in his death.

He apologised for the remarks, and resigned from the position of party chairman, which he had for only days.

Eyes had also turned to the number two on the party's list, Joao Varela, a 27-year-old black cosmetics executive from Cape Verde, whom critics have branded a "token immigrant" employed to ease concern about Mr Fortuyn's anti-immigration stance.

He has ruled out running for the post of leader because of his youth and political inexperience.

Mr Varela is not volunteering for the job

Three candidates for the leadership remain.

The current favourite is Winnie de Jong, a 43-year-old former model with a few films in her portfolio, who grew up in Germany, studied law, was employed by the Agriculture Ministry and now works as a food expert for an umbrella group of Dutch supermarkets.

When she heard that Mr Fortuyn was founding a political party, she sent him her CV. She promptly became number four in the party hierarchy.

She has worn black since his death. "Pim has planted his soul in all of us," she has said, vowing to keep his legacy alive.

Spokesman Mat Herben, a 49-year-old public relations officer, is also seen as a potential leader.

He used to edit the staff magazine for the Dutch Defence Ministry.

We feel like orphans - we have lost our teacher

Mat Herben
LPF spokesman

Jim Janssen van Ray was number three in the party hierarchy, after Mr Fortuyn and Mr Varela, but it is widely believed that the LPF regards the 69-year-old as too old to lead a movement which is supposed to embody political change.

Mr van Ray was a member of the European Parliament for nearly 20 years, representing the centre-right Christian Democrats. He left the party six years ago over after allegations that he used his position for personal gain.

Pim's verdict

Apart from deciding on a leader, the party will also have to find ministers to enter government, if it is invited to join a coalition cabinet led by the Christian Democrats.

On Wednesday night, Mr Varela said the party had campaigned on the issues of law and order, immigration and health and would therefore like to occupy such posts in a future cabinet.

He himself had been earmarked by Mr Fortuyn as a future minister for immigration - although at other times Mr Fortuyn showed a marked lack of confidence in his party comrades.

"There is not a minister among them," he once said. "Not even a junior one."

There have been suggestions that the party could even look outside its own ranks to find people competent enough to represent it.

There is no precise party programme, although its position on crime and immigration has become infamous: Close the borders to foreigners, oblige immigrants - particularly Muslims to integrate, and reduce the crime that it says plagues Dutch streets by placing more criminals in prison.

Analysts say that it will need to develop a more sophisticated philosophy if the party is to have any chance of surviving in the long term. Voters' fears, they argue, are not a durable source of support.