Prosecutors had asked for a life sentence for 33-year-old Volkert van der Graaf, who shot Fortuyn as he left a radio studio last year.
But the court in Amsterdam ruled that Van der Graaf should receive the lighter 18-year sentence to give him the chance of rehabilitation. He could be freed by 2014.
Van der Graaf said he killed Fortuyn - the then leader of the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) - to protect Muslim immigrants and other "vulnerable" members of society.
"All considered, a sentence of life imprisonment would not be appropriate in this case," said presiding judge Frans Bauduin. "Therefore we are giving a fixed term of imprisonment."
Van der Graaf gunned down Fortuyn as he left the radio studio in Hilversum, after lying in wait for him in bushes nearby.
The prosecution said Van der Graaf had shown little remorse and had carried out the killing in a "cold and calculating" manner.
A psychiatrists' report presented to the court concluded that Van der Graaf was sane.
He told the court that he regretted the killing, but said Fortuyn's rise in popularity could be compared to that of Hitler.
Fortuyn wasn't taking the country by coup. He had legitimate concerns about a large number of immigrants who weren't adopting Dutch standards and were instead practicing an extreme version of Islam. The guy who killed him wasn't even Muslim, but some whacked out green peace sort of person. Now that this "sane" punk gets parole in 10 years, why should anyone with controversial ideas run for anything in Holland? Unless you want to tow the politically correct line, you'll be killed and government won't care.
EJ. Dionne's column below makes the point that big government is our savior, but this is a good example of how the government would rather expand the welfare state than protect citizens and their rights. This guy should have been executed. Instead he'll get rehabilitation. Fortuyn was murdered for speaking harshly about Muslims. He would have gotten off lighter had he killed one.
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