Dutch parliament has convened for an emergency session following the highly controversial maneuvers from Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk to declare that Hirsi Ali’s citizenship is likely to be revoked. Arjan Dasselaar is liveblogging events as they unfold in his usual trenchant style, it seems he is not exactly pleased to be Dutch on this particular day.

To be clear, Hirsi Ali was scheduled to leave parliament and join AEI long before both the eviction-affair and the documentary about her entry into the The Netherlands became headline news. Both Hirsi Ali and some of her closest associates must have determined a while ago that there was probably a better and safer future in America. The court ruling which gave her four months to vacate her apartment essentially brought that decision forward. That in essence raises even more questions about Verdonk’s heavy handed approach which it appears is now backfiring and could well derail her political career – and leadership ambitions – for good.

So, there have been five political and/or public talents in The Netherlands who have tried to initiate a debate and tried to change the direction of the troubled nation. Here’s what has happened to each of them:

Frits Bolkestein: Retired
Pim Fortuyn: Murdered
Theo van Gogh: Murdered
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Humiliated and expelled
Rita Verdonk: Disgraced

And then I didn’t count the many that have decided to stay quiet out of fear or refrain from getting involved in politics out of total disgust. Any guesses about the future of political debate in The Netherlands?