Excerpt:
Social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher has dismissed recent claims that the political climate in the Netherlands is a racist, saying the accusation goes too far.
A recent report by a Council of Europe human rights committee said the Netherlands needs to do more to combat racism and regretted the fact the funding for initiatives has been cut.
The report also criticised the way some politicians and the media describe Muslims and Eastern Europeans as a threat to Dutch society. The claims were backed at the time by the national ombudsman.