Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn: No tough talk after the terrorist attack in New-Zealand
After an terrorist attack, tough talk often follows. However, this is not the case with prime minister Arden in New-Zealand, says Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn, researcher at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs to the NOS.
After the terrorist attack in New-Zealand, prime minister Arden chose to speak about unity, diversity and the victims instead of the attacker. This is unique when compared to other leaders such as President George W. Bush, who announced the ´war on terror’ after the attacks on 11 September 2001 and President Hollande, who spoke of war crimes after the Paris attacks in 2015. In countries such as the UK and France, political leaders are more likely to experience pressure to condemn terrorist attacks.
One explanation for the speech of prime minister Arden is her personality and the isolated location of New-Zealand. Terrorism wasn’t a big part of the conversation in New-Zealand, says De Roy van Zuijdewijn.
Read the full Dutch article on the website of the NOS.