Forum for Democracy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Forum for Democracy Forum voor Democratie
Abbreviation	FvD
Leader	Thierry Baudet
Chairperson	Thierry Baudet
Leader in the House of Representatives	Thierry Baudet
Leader in the Senate	Johan Dessing
Leader in the EP	Marcel de Graaff
Founders	Thierry Baudet Henk Otten
Founded	1 September 2016
Headquarters	Herengracht 74, Amsterdam
Youth wing	Jongerenorganisatie Forum voor Democratie (JFvD)
Think tank	Renaissance Institute
Membership (2024)	61,633
Ideology	National conservatism Right-wing populism Russophilia Souverainism Hard Euroscepticism
Political position	Far-right
European Parliament group	Non-Inscrits ECR (formerly)
Colors	Maroon
House of Representatives	3 / 150
Senate	2 / 75
States-Provincial	15 / 570
European Parliament	1 / 29
King's Commissioners	0 / 12
Politics of the Netherlands

Forum for Democracy (FvD) is a political party in the Netherlands. It was started in 2016 by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten as a group that thought about big ideas.

The party first took part in elections in 2017. They won two seats in the House of Representatives. At first, FvD was seen as a party that liked traditional ideas and was careful about the European Union. Over time, some members left the party. After this, the party started to have more strong and different ideas.

History of the Forum for Democracy

FvD began as a group that wanted to give citizens more say in government. They also wanted to campaign against the European Union. The group pushed for a law that would allow people to vote on important issues. They also wanted to look into whether the Netherlands should stay in the Eurozone.

In September 2016, FvD became a political party. They decided to join the 2017 general election. In that election, they got 1.8% of the votes and won two seats. This was their first time in parliament. By February 2019, the FvD had almost 31,000 members.

In 2018, the party grew very quickly. But this also caused some problems inside the party. Some important members left because they felt the party wasn't democratic enough.

How the Party Grew in Elections

In the 2018 local elections, FvD won three seats in the Amsterdam city council. They only ran in Amsterdam that year.

In the 2019 provincial elections, Forum for Democracy did very well. They won 86 seats across all twelve provinces of the Netherlands. They became the biggest party in South Holland, North Holland, and Flevoland. In other provinces, they came in second or third place. Many of their candidates were new to politics.

In April 2020, FvD joined with another party, the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), in the North Brabant province. This was the first time FvD was part of a regional government.

When the Party Split Up

In 2020, the party faced some big disagreements. This led to calls for Thierry Baudet to step down as leader. He did for a short time. In December 2020, Baudet came back as the party leader. He then led FvD into the 2021 general election.

In the 2021 election, the party spoke out against the rules put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. They won eight seats in parliament. During this time, there were also discussions about some controversial comments made by youth members.

In May 2021, three FvD members of parliament left the party. They became independent members. This happened after the FvD put out a poster that caused a lot of debate.

In 2022, FvD got a seat back in the European Parliament. This happened when Marcel de Graaff joined the party. FvD then became part of a different group in the European Parliament. In March 2022, two senators left the party. This was because FvD members were not present during a speech by the Ukrainian President.

What Forum for Democracy Believes In

When it started in 2016, FvD was seen as a party that wanted to keep traditional national values. It also believed in economic freedom. The party said it was a "liberal conservative" group.

Later, people started to see the party as more focused on national interests and being against the European Union. It was also described as a "far-right" party. FvD says it is a movement that wants to protect Dutch independence, culture, and ideas.

The party wants stricter rules for people coming into the country. They also want to protect Dutch culture and "Judeo-Christian values." FvD is against the European Union becoming too powerful. They want the Netherlands to vote on whether to stay in the EU.

FvD first tried to get support from voters who felt other parties were too soft on the European Union and immigration. They also looked for candidates who were experts in their jobs, not just politicians.

Since 2019, experts have said that FvD has moved further to the right. They have taken on more strong positions.

In the European Parliament, FvD was with the European Conservatives and Reformists group. But after some members left, FvD also left that group. The party was briefly linked with another far-right group in 2022. They left that group too, saying it was "anti-Russian." As of 2022, the party's member in the European Parliament sits as an independent.

Ideas on Money and Business

FvD supports economic freedom. They want to make taxes simpler and lower taxes for everyone. They also want to remove taxes on gifts and money passed down from family.

The party wants big changes in schools. They want to focus on how well teachers perform. They also want to make the military stronger and spend more money on defense.

Ideas on How Elections Work

One of FvD's main goals is to fight against what they call a "party cartel." They believe that the main ruling parties work together too much.

The party wants more direct democracy. This means people would vote directly on important issues. They also want mayors and the Prime Minister to be chosen directly by the people. FvD also thinks that government officials should be experts in their fields. They believe these top officials should have to reapply for their jobs when a new government is formed.

Ideas on Immigration and the European Union

The party says it wants to protect European culture. They want free trade between European countries and the rest of the world. But they are against the European Union (EU) and the Eurozone. FvD wants to stop the EU from growing bigger. They want the Netherlands to use its power to stop the EU from becoming a super-state. They also support votes on leaving the Eurozone and the Schengen Agreement.

FvD wants to discuss the Netherlands' membership in the EU again. They want a vote on whether to leave the EU if changes cannot be made.

FvD also believes in protecting Dutch culture. They want to bring back border controls and stop what they call "mass immigration." They also want to introduce a "Dutch Values Protection Act." The party supports freedom of religion and equal treatment for everyone. However, they are against more influence of Islamic culture in Dutch society. They want to stop forced or child marriages and ban face coverings. FvD also opposes foreign money for Islamic schools. They say all schools in the Netherlands should follow "Judeo-Christian values." FvD also believes that immigrants who do not want to fit in should be encouraged to return to their home countries. They also think that people seeking safety should be processed outside of the Netherlands whenever possible.

Ideas on Foreign Relations

FvD has different views on international conflicts. They have expressed opinions about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine that differ from many other parties. One of the party's founders has criticized FvD's stance on Russia. Baudet has also supported the Netherlands leaving NATO.

Ideas on Nature and Society

The party wants to use less plastic. They also want to support farming and have stronger laws against animal cruelty. In 2019, the party campaigned against large government spending on renewable energy. They also supported protests by farmers against rules on nitrogen pollution.

Ideas on Culture and Society

FvD supports traditional culture. They want to protect Dutch culture and "European classical music, art, and knowledge." They are critical of modern buildings. They want new government buildings to be built in an older, classical style. FvD also wants to protect old buildings. They want the Frysk language to remain a second official language. They also want schools to teach about "beautiful things that the West has produced." FvD supports free museum entry for all Dutch citizens. However, the party has also suggested stopping government funding for the Dutch public broadcasting organization.

While the party says it supports equal treatment for people of different sexual orientations, it has different ideas about how children should be taught about social topics and gender identity. FvD has also spoken out against some modern ideas about gender equality. They have promoted traditional roles for men and women.

Parties That Split Off from FvD

In August 2019, Henk Otten, a former FvD senator, started a new political party called Group Otten (GO). GO had members in the Senate and the European Parliament who used to be with FvD.

In December 2020, former FvD candidates Joost Eerdmans and Annabel Nanninga started JA21. They did this because they felt FvD did not handle some issues well. They were joined by FvD's members in the European Parliament and seven senators.

After the 2021 Dutch election, FvD member of parliament Wybren van Haga started Belang van Nederland. Two other former FvD members of parliament joined him.

FvD's Representation in Government

Thierry Baudet, the founder and leader of the party.

Members in the House of Representatives

Members in the Senate

Members in the European Parliament

• Marcel de Graaff (joined from another party in January 2022)

Election Results

House of Representatives Elections

Election	Lijsttrekker (Main Candidate)	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government Role
2017	Thierry Baudet	187,162	1.78 (#13)	2 / 150	New	Opposition
2021		521,102	5.02 (#8)	8 / 150	6	Opposition
2023		232,963	2.23 (#11)	3 / 150	5	Opposition

Senate Elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government Role
2019	27,473	15.87 (#1)	12 / 75	New	Opposition
2023	4,866	2.72 (#12)	2 / 75	10	Opposition

Local City Council Elections

Election	City	Votes	%	Rank	Seats	+/-
2018	Amsterdam	20,015	5.77	8th	3 / 45	New
2022	Amsterdam	6,688	2.1	12th	1 / 45	2

Provincial Elections

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
2019	Thierry Baudet	1,057,029	14.53 (1st)	86 / 570	New
2023		237,899	3.07 (12th)	15 / 572	71

European Parliament Elections

Election	List	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Notes
2019	List	602,507	10.96 (#4)	3 / 26	New
				4 / 29	1

How the Party is Organized

Party Leadership

• Leaders
  • Thierry Baudet (September 22, 2016 – now)
• Chairman
  • Thierry Baudet (September 22, 2016 – January 17, 2017; November 25, 2017 – now)
  • Paul Frentrop (temporary; January 17, 2017 – November 24, 2017)
• Leaders in the House of Representatives
  • Thierry Baudet (March 23, 2017 – now)

Number of Party Members

Before 2022, the exact number of FvD members was sometimes debated.

Flemish Chapter

Forum for Democracy started a group in the Flemish part of Belgium in January 2024. They wanted to take part in the June 2024 European Parliament election in Belgium. However, they could not get enough signatures to be on the ballot.

See also

In Spanish: Foro para la Democracia para niños