Greater Netherlands | |
|---|---|
  | |
 | |
| Area | |
• Total | 55,652 km2 (21,487 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 25,785,400a[1][2] |
• Density | 463/km2 (1,199.2/sq mi) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | €1.526 trilliona[3] |
| |
Greater Netherlands (Dutch:Groot-Nederland,pronounced[ˌɣroːtˈneːdərlɑnt]) is anirredentist concept which unites theNetherlands,Flanders, andBrussels. Additionally, a Greater Netherlands state may include the annexation of theFrench Westhoek,Suriname, formerly Dutch-speaking areas ofGermany andFrance, or even theethnically Dutch and/orAfrikaans-speaking parts ofSouth Africa.[4] A related proposal is thePan-Netherlands concept, which includesWallonia and potentially alsoLuxembourg.
The Greater Netherlands concept was originally developed byPieter Geyl,[5] who argued that the "Dutch tribe", encompassing the Flemish and Dutch people, are only separated due to theEighty Years' War againstSpain in the 16th century.[6] While Geyl—an outspokenanti-fascist—argued from a historical and cultural perspective, thefascistVerdinaso andNazi movements built upon the idea of a Greater Netherlands during the 1930s and 1940s with a focus onethnic nationalism, a concept still prominent among some on thefar-right. Other 21st-century proponents of the Greater Netherlands concept includemoderates in Belgium and the Netherlands who seek to elevate theBenelux ideal to a more centralized political union.[7]
Public support for a union of Flanders and the Netherlands is relatively small, especially in Flanders, whereFlemish independence is seen as the main alternative to the Belgian state.
Greater Netherlands without Brussels:
| Area km2 | Population (2022) | GDP (2023)[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Netherlands | 41,865 | 17,933,600 | €1,067.599 billion |
 Flanders | 13,625 | 6,629,143 | €356.049 billion |
| Greater Netherlands | 55,490 | 24,562,743 | €1,423.648 billion |
Or with Brussels:
| Area km2 | Population (2022) | GDP (2023)[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 41,865 | 17,933,600 | €1,067.599 billion |
| Flanders | 13,625 | 6,629,143 | €356.049 billion |
 Brussels | 162 | 1,222,657 | €103.285 billion |
| Greater Netherlands | 55,652 | 25,785,400 | €1,526.933 billion |
The potential country is also known asDutchland (Dietsland), which incorporates the wordDiets – an archaic term for(Middle) Dutch. This label was popular until the Second World War, but its associations with collaboration (especially in Flanders) meant that modern supporters generally avoid using it.[8] The ideology is often labeled asGreater Netherlandism (Groot-Nederlandisme).Dutch Movement[9] (Dietse Beweging) is another term often used for the movement, while in literature it is often called theGreater Netherlands Thought (Grootnederlandse Gedachte).[5]
Greater Netherlandism is often confused with theOrangist movement in Belgium which fought for the reunification of theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands after Belgian Independence. While many Orangists are Greater Netherlandists, the Orangists mainly focus on restoringOrange-Nassau's control over the South often forlegitimist reasons.[10]
ThePrinsenvlag is sometimes used by both Orangist and Greater Netherlandic groups due to its use by supporters ofWilliam I of Orange during theEighty Years' War, who led the revolt of theLow Countries against the Spanish. During this rebellion the Dutch-speaking regions of theLow Countries, encompassing modern day Flanders and the Netherlands, banded together under theUnion of Utrecht, the precursor to the modern Dutch state. The flag was also used by theDutch Republic andUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands. Today the flag is generally associated with the far-right in the Netherlands.
"Pan-Netherlands" (Dutch:Heel-Nederland) is another term that was used for the theoretical Greater Netherlands state,[11] but this term is now used mainly for the movement that aims to unite all of theLow Countries (Benelux) as a singlemultilingual entity, also includingWallonia andLuxembourg.[9]
The first proposals to unite theSouthern Netherlands with theDutch Republic to form a greater Dutch-speaking state were made following the outbreak of theFrench Revolution in 1789.[12] The concept was realized following theNapoleonic Wars in 1815 when theCongress of Vienna established theKingdom of the Netherlands from the territories of the former Dutch Republic andAustrian Netherlands. Following the independence ofBelgium in 1830, the 1860s saw renewed Flemish interest in a united Dutch-speaking state as some Dutch-speaking Belgian citizens opposed the privileged positions held by the French-speaking bourgeoisie.[13] By the end of the 19th century the Greater Netherlandic movement had emerged alongside theFlemish Movement in response to the subordination of the Dutch-speaking population in Belgian government and public life. 'Waar Maas en Schelde vloeien' (also known as 'Het Lied der Vlamingen') is a popular Greater Netherlandic song written around this time byPeter Benoit andEmmaniel Hiel.[14] In 1895 nationalists from both Belgian Flanders and the Netherlands created the Greater Netherlandic General Dutch Union (Dutch:Algemeen-Nederlands Verbond (ANV)) for the purpose of stimulating cooperation between Belgian Flanders and the Netherlands, a role it continues to hold.[15]
TheGerman occupation of Belgium duringWorld War I further intensified the conflict between the nation'sWalloon andFlemish communities. Seeing the linguistic division of Belgium as a means of facilitating its occupation, the Germans employedFlamenpolitik to divide the administration of Belgium between French and Dutch-speaking authorities.[16][17] This resulted in a surge in the popularity of the ANV in both Flanders and the Netherlands, with a group of more radical students founding theDutch Student Association (Dutch:Dietsch Studentenverbond).[18][19][20] Even theBWP—the first Belgiansocialist party—had a considerable number of Greater Netherlandists among their ranks inAntwerp, including Maurits Naessens.[21]
The Greater Netherlands idea gained more structure in the early 20th century. In the Netherlands, some nationalists began to see Flanders as part of a broader Dutch identity, and this perspective found sympathy in Flemish nationalist circles, where people advocated for the preservation and promotion of the Dutch language.
During World War I (1914–1918), some Flemish nationalists saw an opportunity to push their cause by collaborating with the German occupation, which had a policy of encouraging Flemish autonomy as a way to weaken Belgium. The collaboration led to the rise of radical Flemish nationalism, some of which began to promote the idea of a union with the Netherlands.
After the war, the Flemish Movement grew in Belgium, with demands for linguistic equality and greater autonomy for Flanders. While this movement was primarily focused on gaining rights within Belgium, a fringe element started advocating for full separation from Belgium and unification with the Netherlands under a "Greater Netherlands."
Occupations of Belgium and the Netherlands byNazi Germany duringWorld War II resulted in the belief within nationalist circles that a Greater Netherlands state could be achieved throughcollaboration with the German occupiers. While their administration of Belgium was divided along linguistic lines in a policy similar toFlamenpolitik, the German Nazis did not seek to combine Flanders with the Netherlands. They instead sought either the establishment of aPan-Germanist union of the ethnically Germanic Dutch speakers with Germany or aNew Order in which both Belgium and the Netherlands would continue to exist asde jure independent Germansatellite states.[22] The movement saw a drastic decline in popularity following the war due to its association with wartime collaborators in both countries, particularly due to theFlemish National Union (VNV) in Flanders and theNational Socialist Movement in the Netherlands, though remains popular among some on theright of Flemish and Dutch politics.[23]
The Belgian far-right partyVlaams Belang voiced support for the idea, since they see the formation of a "Federation of the Netherlands" as a logical and desirable consequence of a Flemish secession from Belgium. In 2021, the leader of the Flemish NationalistN-VA,Bart De Wever argued in Trends Talk on Kanaal Z that the next step after BelgianConfederalism should be a union of Flanders and the Netherlands,[24] which led to a resurgence in discussions on the topic.
In the Netherlands it is on the agenda of two major political parties, the far-rightParty for Freedom (PVV) andForum for Democracy (FvD). On 12 May 2008, Dutch politicianGeert Wilders (PVV) said inDe Telegraaf that he was interested in the possibility of unifying the Netherlands and Flanders. Wilders proposed that, in accordance with previous polls, referendums should be held in the Netherlands and Flanders on the merger.[25] He argued that he was not planning to impose unification on the Flemish, but stated that then-Dutch Prime MinisterJan-Peter Balkenende needed to discuss the subject with his Flemish colleagues, which Balkenende refused.Thierry Baudet of the far-rightForum for Democracy also voiced support saying he "welcomes" Flanders in their kingdom even arguing that Flanders "actually belongs to us" when asked about it at a conference.[26]
Smaller Greater-Netherlandic groups are the Dutch political partyNederlandse Volks-Unie (NVU) and the Belgo-DutchVoorpost. Since 2018, the Greater Netherlands youth organization, theGeuzenbond, has been active in the Netherlands and Flanders.[27] Members of this organization founded theGreater Netherlands Student Association inLeiden in 2021.[28][29] ANijmegen chapter followed in 2023.[30]
Although it hasn't been a major political issue in the Netherlands for quite some time, in 2007, a poll indicated that two-thirds of the Dutch population would welcome a union with Flanders.[31] Another poll published byRTL 4 found that 77% of respondents living in the Netherlands would support a Greater Netherlands.[32]
In Flanders, support for the idea is less clear. A 1999 study by Jaak Billiet of the Catholic University of Leuven showed that 1 to 2% of Flemish people were in favor of the idea. Non-representative opinion polls on the internet have since proven less clear, with between 2% and 51% of respondents supporting unification with the Netherlands.[33] While the prevailing Dutch view on unification is it being a means of territorial expansion, the Flemish have expressed fears of being culturally assimilated into the larger and more populous Netherlands.
Although, due to the difficulties experienced in the2007 Belgian government formation and to a lesser extent during the2019–2020 Belgian government formation and the victory of both Flemish separatist parties;New Flemish Alliance andVlaams Belang, in those elections, the discussion onFlanders seceding from Belgium became relevant again. Neither of the separatist parties officially supports a "Greater Netherlands" however, presidents of both parties (Tom Van Grieken andBart De Wever) and Dutch parliament speaker Martin Bosma spoke out in favour of a Greater Netherlands after Flemish independence.[34][24]
