New Right (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
New Right was a nationalist
Dutch
political party
, founded by Michiel Smit
in February 2003 and dissolved in December 2007.
's local Leefbaar Rotterdam
party. He was elected into the Rotterdam
city council in March 2002. After the assassination of Fortuyn, May 6, 2002, the Leefbaar Rotterdam
leadership was handed over to Ronald Sørensen
. Michiel Smit
was forced out of the Leefbaar Rotterdam party though in February 2003, after it became public that Smit participated on various rightwing radical internet fora, one of which was the American based Stormfront.org and operating the site www.arabischeuropeseliga.nl. Sørensen earlier forbade Smit from visiting the Belgian Vlaams Blok
as representative of Leefbaar Rotterdam.
However, Smit held on to his seat in the Rotterdam city council, forming a one person party called Nieuw Rechts. From this position Smit started to build up the Nieuw Rechts party. New Right worked with the nationalist NNP
party (whose chairman Florens van der Kooi worked for a time at the New Right party office) to form the Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN in 2003, which campaigned against the pedophiles of the Vereniging MARTIJN
.
Smit tried to set up local branches all over the Netherlands, but this has failed, except in Rotterdam. In the first electoral campaign, in 2004 European Elections
the party attracted 0.3% of the votes, and no seats. In the Dutch municipal elections of 2006 New Right fielded candidates in Rotterdam
, Ridderkerk
, Almelo
and Eindhoven, obtaining 0.06% of the total vote and one seat in the council of Ridderkerk.
The most important issue for the New Right was immigration
and integration
of Muslim
s. Smit held then controversial views like forced repatriation of criminal foreigners and mandatory Dutch services in mosques. These views have since become mainstream in Dutch politics.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
Dutch
Politics of the Netherlands
The politics of the Netherlands take place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralised unitary state. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
, founded by Michiel Smit
Michiel Smit
Michiel Smit is a former Dutch politician and leader of Nieuw Rechts, a nationalist political party.-Political office:...
in February 2003 and dissolved in December 2007.
History
Michiel Smit was secretary of Pim FortuynPim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
's local Leefbaar Rotterdam
Leefbaar Rotterdam
Livable Rotterdam is a political party in the large Dutch city of Rotterdam. It won the council elections of March 2002 due to the charismatic leadership of Pim Fortuyn. This made it the city's largest political party, a position held for 30 years by PvdA...
party. He was elected into the Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
city council in March 2002. After the assassination of Fortuyn, May 6, 2002, the Leefbaar Rotterdam
Leefbaar Rotterdam
Livable Rotterdam is a political party in the large Dutch city of Rotterdam. It won the council elections of March 2002 due to the charismatic leadership of Pim Fortuyn. This made it the city's largest political party, a position held for 30 years by PvdA...
leadership was handed over to Ronald Sørensen
Ronald Sørensen
Ronald Sørensen is a Dutch politician.- Biography :Sørensen obtained an M.A. in history from Utrecht University. Before he became political active he was a history and biology teacher...
. Michiel Smit
Michiel Smit
Michiel Smit is a former Dutch politician and leader of Nieuw Rechts, a nationalist political party.-Political office:...
was forced out of the Leefbaar Rotterdam party though in February 2003, after it became public that Smit participated on various rightwing radical internet fora, one of which was the American based Stormfront.org and operating the site www.arabischeuropeseliga.nl. Sørensen earlier forbade Smit from visiting the Belgian Vlaams Blok
Vlaams Blok
The Vlaams Blok was a Belgian far-right and secessionist political party with an anti-immigration platform. Its ideologies embraced Flemish nationalism, calling for the independence of Flanders. From its creation in 1978, it was the most notable militant right wing of the Flemish movement. Vlaams...
as representative of Leefbaar Rotterdam.
However, Smit held on to his seat in the Rotterdam city council, forming a one person party called Nieuw Rechts. From this position Smit started to build up the Nieuw Rechts party. New Right worked with the nationalist NNP
New National Party (Netherlands)
The New National Party was a Dutch nationalist political party which existed between 1998 and 2005. It succeeded the "Volksnationalisten Nederland" party which had been founded in 1997...
party (whose chairman Florens van der Kooi worked for a time at the New Right party office) to form the Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN in 2003, which campaigned against the pedophiles of the Vereniging MARTIJN
Vereniging MARTIJN
Vereniging MARTIJN is a Dutch association that advocates the acceptance of pedophilia and legalization of sexual relationships between adults and children. The group is widely reviled but not outlawed...
.
Smit tried to set up local branches all over the Netherlands, but this has failed, except in Rotterdam. In the first electoral campaign, in 2004 European Elections
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
the party attracted 0.3% of the votes, and no seats. In the Dutch municipal elections of 2006 New Right fielded candidates in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 44,886 in 2010, and covers an area of 25.10 km² ....
, Almelo
Almelo
Almelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie and Bornerbroek....
and Eindhoven, obtaining 0.06% of the total vote and one seat in the council of Ridderkerk.
Ideology
New Right's ideology was based on conservatism, liberalism and nationalism.The most important issue for the New Right was immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and integration
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. Smit held then controversial views like forced repatriation of criminal foreigners and mandatory Dutch services in mosques. These views have since become mainstream in Dutch politics.