Interest of the Netherlands Belang van Nederland | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | BVNL |
| Leader | Wybren van Haga[1] |
| Chairperson | Wybren van Haga[1] |
| Leader in theHouse of Representatives | Wybren van Haga |
| Founders |
|
| Founded | 7 August 2021 (2021-08-07) |
| Split from | Forum for Democracy |
| Headquarters | Palletweg 32,Haarlem |
| Membership(2023) |  6,305[2] |
| Ideology | Right-wing populism[3] Conservative liberalism[1] Classical liberalism[4][5] Direct democracy Euroscepticism[6] |
| Political position | Right-wing[7] tofar-right[8][9] |
| Colours | Navy blue |
| Senate | 0 / 75 |
| House of Representatives | 0 / 150 |
| Provincial councils | 0 / 570 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Belang van Nederland (Dutch pronunciation:[bəˈlɑŋvɑˈneːdərlɑnt];lit. 'Interest of the Netherlands';BVNL) is apolitical party in theNetherlands, led byWybren van Haga. Between 2021 and 2023, it was active in theHouse of Representatives as the independentVan Haga Group (Dutch:Groep Van Haga). Its three MPs split fromForum for Democracy in August 2021.[1]
BVNL was founded byWybren van Haga, who had previously been an MP for thePeople's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) before defecting toForum for Democracy (FvD). In May 2021, Van Haga announced that he split from FvD in response to a poster it had released which compared theCOVID-19 lockdown to theNazi occupation of the Netherlands. He was joined by two former FvD MPsHans Smolders andOlaf Ephraim.[10][11][12] The group subsequently founded the independent groupGroep Van Haga. In August 2021, Van Haga announced his intention to start a new political party.[13][14][1]
The party participated in the2023 general election, but was unable to win a seat.[15] Notable individuals on the party's candidate list were former50PLUS politicianHenk Krol andMMA fighterAlistair Overeem.[16] The latter functioned aslijstduwer.[17]
Van Haga claimed that BVNL will be aclassical liberal party and "culturally conservative, but classically liberal when it comes to the role of government".[1][18] BVNL also claims thatindividual liberty, freedom and the protection of Dutch history, cultural identity, and interests as the main cornerstones of its policies. The party also states that it supportstechnological advancement, a reformed criminal justice system, more controls on immigration and removal of immigrants with criminal records, and simplified tax codes. BVNL also calls for an end to handing over Dutch sovereignty and political power to theEuropean Union, for referendums on Dutch membership of key EU treaties, and for a vote onNexit (Dutch withdrawal from the European Union) if polls indicate public support for one. The party also states that the Dutch constitution and laws must come ahead of international law and policies created bysupranational bodies.[19] BVNL also calls for a more critical examination of big tech companies, for freedom of speech to be protected and "academic freedom" within universities.[6][citation needed] The party is also opposed to some of theCOVID-19 lockdown measures taken by the Dutch government, arguing that social and economic collateral damage was not taken into proper consideration.[20] Van Haga has described BVNL as lesssocially conservative on LGBT and gender issues than the FvD andJA21, which also split off from the FvD, and more focused oneconomic liberalism.[21]
| Election | Lijsttrekker | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Wybren van Haga | 52,913 | 0.51 (#16) | 0 / 150 | New | Extra-parliamentary |
| Election | List | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | EP Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | List | 23,032 | 0.37 (#17) | 0 / 31 | New | – |