A Dutch court yesterday sentenced the assassin of Dutch patriot and populist, Pym Fortuyn, to 18 years in prison.

Volkert van der Graaf admitted shooting Mr. Fortuyn just days before general elections last May in the Netherlands. In so doing, van der Graff changed the course of Dutch politics. Pym's party (The Fortuyn's List) was unable to function effectively without the flambouyant and outspoken leader and Fortuyn's List failed to make the electoral gains, commentators had predicted.

Prosecutors had demanded a life sentence. But presiding judge Frans Bauduin, who announced Tuesday, sentence said life imprisonment would not be appropriate in this case.

A defiantly, unapologetic Van der Graaf said he shot Mr. Fortuyn because he considered him a threat to "weaker groups" in society, such as Muslims, asylum seekers, immigrants and animals.

The liberal Dutch establishment had created an atmosphere of tension about the issue of immigration in the run up to the elections and the press had assisted in demonizing patriots who wished to make a stand against the flooding of their country with asylum seekers.

In a demonstration of remarkable foresight Fortuyn spoke to reporters in April, the month before his murder:"....when I am killed or wounded then you [referring to former Prime Minister Wim Kok] are responsible because you give me no protection and you make the atmosphere in this country so poisonous that people want to hurt me...."

Mr. Fortuyn made the fight against immigration a central point in his campaign. He was much admired for his outspoken views on this issue and he struck a chord with his warnings about the encroaching Islamic influence on western nations. His murder prompted an outpouring of public sympathy and anger. Pym managed to bring to the fore, issues which the very liberal and materialist Dutch electorate had difficulty in tackling and demonstrated that all western European peoples are searching for an alternative to the Old Gang parties who have brought about a decline in the very civilisation our nations collectively created. Patriotic anti-immigration parties in Denmark, Austria, Italy, France and Scandinavia which the BNP maintain close links continue to make progress at the Polls.