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50-447: JA21 was founded on 18 December 2020 by Eerdmans and Nanninga, after they had left the right-wing populist Forum for Democracy following an internal dispute over the party leadership's response to allegations of racism, antisemitism and homophobia against its youth wing (including glorification of Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant ), as well as controversial statements made by party leader Thierry Baudet . JA21 describes itself as

100-821: A Flemish chapter in January 2024. It intended to participate in the June 2024 European Parliament election in Belgium's Dutch-speaking electoral college , but the party did not manage to collect the required amount of signatures. In the European parliament, the FvD sat with the European Conservatives and Reformists until a split in the party in 2020, when its former MEP's defected to JA21 party and joined European Conservatives and Reformists Party . FvD then left

150-496: A neoclassical style and for city planning that "fits within a historical view." FvD also supports the establishment of a commission to protect historic monuments from destruction, wants Frysk to be retained as a second state language, calls for schools to teach about "beautiful things that the West has produced" and supports free museum admission for all Dutch citizens. However, the party has also promoted plans to defund and privatize

200-490: A " Manchurian candidate " of Putin. Baudet has supported Dutch withdrawal from NATO. The FvD has shifted from an initial strongly pro-Israel attitude towards the Israeli–Palestinian conflict , towards criticism of Israel's role in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war , with Baudet praising the pro-Palestinian DENK 's stance on the conflict. Baudet has described Israeli actions as "ethnic cleansing" and suggested that Israel

250-511: A "proper" right-wing party and aims to fill the gap between the centre-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the more radical-right Party for Freedom (PVV). Party leader Joost Eerdmans had previously been a member of parliament for the Pim Fortuyn List and served as deputy mayor of Rotterdam . According to Eerdmans, the name JA21 does not only refer to the first names of himself and Nanninga; it also stands for

300-418: A "white Europe". FvD in the economic field supports economic liberalism . The party is a proponent of the introduction of a high tax-free bracket for everyone, the abolition of taxes on gifts and inheritance and a radical simplification of tax brackets. The party is a proponent of drastic changes in elementary and secondary education, focusing on performance evaluations for teachers. It wants to expand

350-537: A Dutch court found Baudet guilty of "creating a breeding ground for antisemitism " with his statements and ordered him to delete social media posts comparing COVID policies to the Holocaust or face a fine. Baudet denied that his statements were intended to be offensive or antisemitic. In 2022, the FvD regained representation in the European Parliament when Marcel de Graaff defected to the party. As

400-488: A directly elected Prime Minister . The party is also in favor of the government consisting of apolitical experts in their respective fields (" technocracy "), and top civil servants having to reapply for their positions whenever a new cabinet is formed. FvD supports high culture . It argues for the protection of Dutch culture and "European classical music, art and knowledge." It is critical of modern architecture, calling for both new government buildings to be constructed in

450-638: A federal superstate. It also supports referendums and Dutch withdrawal from the Eurozone and the Schengen Agreement . FvD also wants a renegotiation of Dutch membership of the EU followed by a binding referendum on EU membership and an "intelligent exit" ( Nexit ) from the EU if it cannot be reformed and terms cannot be met. Prior to 2022, party membership numbers of FvD were not independently verified and have been disputed. Forum for Democracy founded

500-607: A human right include the United Nations Human Rights Council , who declared internet freedom a Human Right in 2012. Eric Sterner agrees with the end goals of internet freedom but thinks that focusing on democracy and other freedoms is the best strategy. J. Goldsmith notes the discrepancies in fundamental rights around free speech that exist between Europe and the United States, for example, and how that impacts internet freedom. In addition,

550-699: A new political party. GO had two seats in the Senate and one seat in the European Parliament which were taken up by former FvD members. On 30 April 2020, Forum for Democracy formed a coalition with the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) in the North Brabant province, the first time the party had formally entered into the administration of a regional authority. In late 2020, former VVD MP Wybren van Haga defected to

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600-664: A poster on Holocaust Memorial Day comparing lockdown measures with the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands . The analogy and timing of the poster was criticized by the Central Jewish Board of the Netherlands. During the pandemic, members of FvD were accused of circulating conspiracy theories regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and using further Holocaust comparisons with vaccinations and social distancing. In December 2021,

650-530: A referendum on Dutch membership of the Eurozone , a revision of Dutch membership of EU treaties and the Schengen Agreement , and a renegotiation of Dutch membership of the EU. JA21 is also opposed to the potential accession of Turkey to the European Union . The party also wants to opt out of the EU asylum pact, regain full control over Dutch borders and expel illegal immigrants. JA21 also opposes cuts to

700-532: A result, the FvD became a member of the Identity and Democracy group instead of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). In 2022 FvD left the European Conservatives and Reformists Party . In March 2022, Senators Theo Hiddema and Paul Frentrop left the party over FvD's absence at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 's speech to the House of Representatives, leaving only Senator Johan Dessing . At

750-486: A strict immigration policy and support for the entrepreneurs who make our country great". The party is strongly opposed to further integration within the European Union and the EU becoming a Federal Superstate. JA21 wants to strengthen the Netherlands' autonomy by ending influence of the EU on domestic affairs by putting "Dutch interests first" and supporting the right to national self-determination. It also supports

800-519: A victory in the provincial elections. Later that year, it also supported protests by Dutch farmers against enforcing legislation on nitrogen emissions. The FvD blames the NATO countries for the escalation of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and openly supports the Russian view of the conflict. The party's original co-founder Henk Otten has criticised the FvD's stance on Russia and called Baudet

850-526: Is a far-right political party in the Netherlands, founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2016. The party first participated in elections in the 2017 general election , winning two seats in the House of Representatives . At the time of its conception, the FvD was considered a conservative liberal and a Eurosceptic movement positioned on the right-wing of the political spectrum; however, after several founding members split from

900-632: Is also against any further influence of Islamic culture on Dutch society, supports a crackdown on forced or child marriages and wants to ban Islamic face veils and other face coverings. The FvD also opposes foreign funding of Islamic schools and institutions, and argues that all schools in the Netherlands should subscribe to "Judeo-Christian values." FvD also states that immigrants who do not wish to integrate should be offered incentives to return to their native country and that whenever possible asylum seekers should be processed off Dutch soil. In 2024, Baudet advocated for mass remigration in order to maintain

950-522: The COVID-19 lockdowns were concocted by George Soros and lashing out at colleague Joost Eerdmans . Baudet denied the accusations. In December 2020, Baudet reversed his actions and announced the party would hold a leadership contest. The FvD's board announced an internal referendum on whether to expel Baudet from the party and replace him with a new leader. This took place on 3 December 2020, with 76% of FvD members voting in favour of Baudet remaining in

1000-698: The European Conservatives and Reformists Party . The party was affiliated with the Identity and Democracy (ID) far-right political group of the European Parliament for a short period in 2022, leaving in October after accusing ID of being anti-Russian. In 2024, the FvD lost its European Parliament representation, after its MEP had sat as a Non-Inscrit , and it joined the newly established Europe of Sovereign Nations party that same year. The FvD has also been criticized for alleged financial and politics ties to Vladimir Putin with Dutch television show Zembla claiming to have unearthed WhatsApp communications between

1050-592: The Nederlandse Publieke Omroep , a Dutch public broadcasting organization. Although the party has argued for equal treatment of people of different sexual orientations, it calls for the protection of children against what it describes as " woke and LGBT propaganda " and supports prohibiting minors from being in Pride parades and taking hormone therapy. FvD has spoken out against feminism and has promoted traditional gender roles such as that of

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1100-479: The far-right of the spectrum. It was also accused of drawing links with the alt-right movement. The FvD has been described as ideologically national conservative , Hard Eurosceptic , and right-wing populist . On its official platform, the FvD declares itself to be a movement rather than a party with a focus on protecting Dutch sovereignty, identity, and cultural and intellectual property. The party wants stricter immigration and integration policies, calling for

1150-480: The "masculine man that supports his family". The party calls for a reform of the Dutch justice system, increased funding for the Dutch police force, tougher penalties against those convicted of violent crimes and where possible for non-naturalized immigrants found guilty of serious crimes to be deported and tried in their country of origin. FvD calls for a gradual legalization of soft drugs but also supports reducing

1200-426: The 'Right Answer/Correct Answer' (het 'Juiste Antwoord') and 'Your Alternative' ('Jouw Alternatief'). On 20 December 2020, ex-Forum for Democracy MEPs Derk Jan Eppink , Rob Roos and Rob Rooken announced that they had become members of JA21. Two days later, the independent Senate group Fractie-Van Pareren – consisting of seven ex-Forum for Democracy senators – joined JA21, making it the fourth largest party in

1250-488: The FvD as growing further to the right of the PVV by adopting more radical stances. One of the major issues, FvD campaigns against is the perceived existence of a " party cartel " in which the main ruling parties of the country divide power among themselves and work towards the same goals despite claiming to be competitors. The party promises direct democracy through binding referendums as well as directly elected mayors and

1300-427: The Netherlands imposed by the Dutch government and managed to win eight MPs. However, the issue of racist comments from youth members was brought up again during the campaign. One of the accused youth members, Gideon van Meijeren , was elected into parliament, as was youth wing chairman Freek Jansen . During the COVID-19 pandemic , the party caused controversy and saw another three of its MPs leave after it released

1350-650: The Senate. On 16 January 2021, the provincial group of Forum for Democracy in North Brabant split, with three members leaving Forum for Democracy to form the JA21 parliamentary group in the Provincial Council of North Brabant . As Forum for Democracy was part of the province's coalition government at the time of the split, the new JA21 parliamentary group immediately entered the coalition after talks with

1400-513: The Tweede Kamer for "personal reasons," although some media outlets opined that it was due to controversies within the party. The following day, Senator Paul Cliteur also resigned from his position as Senate leader while remaining a member of the party. On 26 November 2020, FvD Senator Nicki Pouw-Verweij released a letter alleging multiple incidents during a dinner on 20 November, including Baudet making antisemitic statements claiming that

1450-538: The United Kingdom following Brexit. JA21 also supports internet freedom and wants to protect the right to online privacy by preventing the government and big tech companies from mining personal data or breaching privacy laws. In terms of culture, the party has expressed opposition to modern architecture and supports restoring historic buildings to their original specifications. In 2022, JA21 campaigned against " de-colonisation " of Dutch history, instead arguing for

1500-504: The armed forces, expanding the National Reserve Corps and reverting defense budget cuts. The party calls for a reduction in the use of plastic, more support for the agricultural economy , sustainable farming and tougher laws against animal cruelty . In the spring of 2019, the party, endorsing a climate change denialist platform, intensively campaigned against large state investments in renewable energy , leading to

1550-423: The eurozone. In September 2016, it converted itself into a political party and announced its intention to take part in the 2017 general election , where the FvD ended up with 1.8% of the vote and two seats, entering parliament for the first time. In February 2018, in part due to its rapidly growing pace, the party suffered from internal issues with a number of prominent members leaving the party because they felt

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1600-454: The ideas of Ayn Rand and Michel Houellebecq . The FvD has also been described as one of several contemporary conservative-populist parties in the Netherlands that have been inspired by or inherited the mantle of the defunct Pim Fortuyn List . The party initially focused on drawing support from former People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) voters who felt the VVD had grown too soft on

1650-469: The largest party, winning 11, nine, and eight seats respectively. In all other provinces, the party came either second or third in terms of numbers of votes. As populists, the bulk of the Forum's nominated parliamentary candidates did not have prior active experience in other political parties. In August 2019, former FvD senator and founding member Henk Otten announced he had registered Group Otten (GO) as

1700-517: The number of cannabis coffee shops within the vicinity of schools. The FvD also adopts a nationalist viewpoint in which the Dutch culture should be protected. The party is in favor of reinstating border controls and ending what it perceives as mass immigration . It also campaigns against unchecked immigration, says it would introduce a Dutch Values Protection Act. The party supports freedom of religion and calls for equal treatment of all citizens regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation, but

1750-467: The other coalition members. This marked the first time that JA21 entered a coalition with other parties. In its platform, JA21 describes itself as both liberal and conservative with an emphasis on personal freedom, political transparency and reliable government. Initially, JA21 sought to emulate the original political platform of the Forum for Democracy party from which it split. Both political observers and

1800-490: The party and he subsequently resumed his role as leader. In protest at the outcome, the FvD's three MEPs, seven of its senators and some of its parliamentary candidates for the upcoming general election resigned to sit as independents before joining the JA21 party founded by former FvD members who had left due to the youth wing controversies. At the 2021 general election, the party campaigned against COVID-19 lockdown measures in

1850-461: The party and someone Baudet describes as a Kremlin official. Baudet claimed the messages were a "playful exaggeration." Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine , the FvD's leadership have been condemned by both former party members and other Dutch political parties for supporting the invasion, taking an overtly pro-Putin stance and blaming the West for the war. In October 2022, the party's remaining MEP

1900-617: The party had a lack of internal democracy. In the 2018 municipal elections , the FvD won three seats on the Amsterdam city council. The party only stood in Amsterdam. In Rotterdam however it endorsed the Livable Rotterdam party. During the 2019 provincial elections , Forum for Democracy won 86 seats, spread across the twelve provinces of the Netherlands . In South Holland , North Holland , and Flevoland , FvD became

1950-439: The party's leadership have also referred to JA21 as being more influenced by Fortuynism , the ideology espoused by assassinated Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn and his Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) party. Party leader Joost Eerdmans, himself a former LPF member of parliament, has claimed that he wants JA21 to help "Fortuyn's ideas return to the House of Representatives." JA21 states that it stands for "less regulatory burden, tax relief,

2000-545: The party's youth organization. In response, a committee of inquiry was set up with some FvD politicians such as Theo Hiddema arguing that the youth wing should be disbanded and others stating the FvD should follow the example of the Sweden Democrats by disassociating the youth-wing. Baudet also resigned as lead candidate and was temporarily replaced by Lennart van der Linden . The day after Baudet resigned as leader, vice-leader Theo Hiddema vacated his seat in

2050-458: The party, it has been described as adopting more radical policies and messages. The FvD was established by Baudet and Otten as a citizens initiative and then a think tank whose main feat was campaigning in the 2016 Dutch Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement referendum and against the EU in general. The think-tank argued for the introduction of a referendum act and campaigned with GeenPeil to have an inquiry into Dutch membership of

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2100-557: The party. In April 2020, HP/De Tijd revealed instances of antisemitism , homophobia and glorification of Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant in online WhatsApp groups associated with FvD's youth wing. FvD later investigated these instances and discharged three members from the political party. Three additional members were also suspended. More similar messages were revealed in November by newspaper Het Parool which published an article about extremist comments made by members

2150-552: The police budget and calls for tougher prison sentences against those who attack emergency workers and repeatedly offend. It also calls for compulsory measures for immigrants to learn Dutch, wants an end to foreign funding of mosques and Islamic schools, and states that people with dual nationality should be stripped of their Dutch citizenship if they join a foreign terrorist group. The party also supports foreign investment and maintaining free trade agreements with other nations in order to stem flows of migration and wants good relations with

2200-422: The policy areas of European Union and immigration, but saw Geert Wilders ' Party for Freedom (PVV) as too hardline, and tried recruiting candidates who came from professional rather than political backgrounds. The FvD has been accused of cultivating popularity among the alt-right movement, although the party does not identify itself as such. From 2019 onwards, political commentators and authors have described

2250-462: The proliferation in certain kinds of speech that spreads false information and weakens trust in the accuracy of content online remains a topic of concern around internet freedom in all countries. Some countries work to ban certain sites and or words that limit internet freedom. The People's Republic of China (PRC) has the world's largest number of Internet users and one of the most sophisticated and aggressive Internet censorship and control regimes in

2300-420: The protection of high culture and " Judeo-Christian values ". The FvD is also opposed to the integration of the European Union which it claims will lead to eventual Eurofederalism and supports a referendum on Dutch membership of EU. In the Dutch newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad , historian and philosopher Jozef Waanders has described the FvD as containing various factions, including members sympathetic to

2350-601: The protection of national cultural heritage and for free museum admission for Dutch nationals. JA21 is also strongly pro-Israel and following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war and attacks on Israel called for those who support Hamas to be expelled from the Netherlands or prosecuted under Article 131 of the Dutch Criminal Code. On its website, JA21 lists its beliefs as: Forum for Democracy Forum for Democracy ( Dutch : Forum voor Democratie [ˈfoːrʏɱ voːr ˌdeːmoːkraːˈ(t)si] ; FvD )

2400-435: The time of its foundation in 2016, the FvD was initially described as a national conservative and a conservative liberal political party. The party self-identified as liberal conservative and sat on the right-wing of the political spectrum. After establishing itself, the party and its platform started to be perceived by political commentators as a standard Eurosceptic national populist political party, and on

2450-475: Was planning to make money by selling new housing developments in the Gaza Strip . The party states that it supports protecting European civilization and wants free trade between European nations and the world but is opposed to the European Union (EU) and the Eurozone . The party calls for an immediate end to EU enlargement and for the Netherlands to use every veto possible to prevent the EU from becoming

2500-464: Was suspended (and subsequently resigned) from the Identity and Democracy European Parliamentary group after posting messages on Twitter praising Putin and expressing support for Russia in the war. Internet freedom Internet freedom is an umbrella term that encompasses digital rights , freedom of information , the right to Internet access , freedom from Internet censorship , and net neutrality . Those who support internet freedom as

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