Meanwhile…

My last post concerned the rise of the extreme right in the UK. It turns out that the UK is not the only place where the extreme right is feeling emboldened. As I was writing it, anti-immigration protesters were gathering in the Hague, and things turned ugly.

The rioters were shouting slogans such as “We are the Netherlands”- er, no, you are not. You are right-wing thugs.

The problem is that the political discourse is becoming increasingly right-wing populist. A motion put forward in the Second Chamber last week by the oxymoronically titled Forum for Democracy to ban AntiFa as a terrorist organisation was enthusiastically adopted by all the usual suspects: the PVV, BBB, Ja21, and they were joined by the SGP and the VVD. The latter was originally a centrist party, but has moved rapidly to the right over the past few years.

The motion was passed (just) with a majority of 1 vote.

This resulted in an article in the Volkskrant with the headline “Dangerous Bravado Say The Experts“.

Fortunately a member of the CDA party has now raised sensible questions with the Justice Minister concerning the hurdles to this motion actually becoming law.

We have a general election coming up next month. We’re in for a bumpy ride.