Parliamentary Elections in the Netherlands
The Netherlands will hold parliamentary elections on October 29. The government of Prime Minister Dick Schoof lost its majority in early June after the far-right PVV, led by Geert Wilders, left the coalition.
A stark contrast is evident in recent political events. On September 20, fascists rioted in The Hague following an anti-immigration rally, intimidating people of color and vandalizing the office of the social-liberal D66 party. Nazi salutes were displayed alongside orange-white-blue flags associated with the Dutch National-Socialist Movement.
In contrast, on October 5, a quarter of a million people marched in Amsterdam to show solidarity with Palestine. This highlights the growing divide between the far-right and the left in the Netherlands.
Others carried flags of the colonial East India Company, the VOC, showing the connections between fascism and colonialism.
The far-right's presence is increasingly felt, with a notable incident in The Hague where fascists trooped through the streets, intimidating people of color and pelting the D66 party office with stones.