Support grows for a ban on anti-democratic groups in the Netherlands

Anti-democratic groups should be banned in the Netherlands, according to the right-wing VVD and three Christian parties in the Dutch parliament.

The parties, who together control 61 of the 150 parliamentary seats, say the constitution should be changed to prevent groups like IS overthrowing democracy in the future.

‘It is crazy that Dutch laws allow us to ban a pro-paedophile party but not one which wishes to stop democracy,’ Christian Democrat MP Pieter Heerma told Radio 1 news. Countries such as Germany and Spain already have a ban in place, Heerma said.

The Labour party, which forms the current Dutch coalition government together with the VVD, is opposed to a ban.

‘There will always be people who have extremist views and that will not stop by banning them,’ MP Martijn van Dam told the broadcaster. ‘If a state introduces a ban, then democracy has already lost some ground.’

The motion will be debated in parliament later on Thursday, Elsevier reports.

Turbulent times

ChristenUnie, which has long opposed a ban on anti-democratic parties, has now thrown its weight in with the supporters, the Volkskrant reports on Thursday.

A change in the constitution would help the state ‘stand firm in turbulent times’, MP Gert-Jan Segers told the paper.

‘We have to deal with radicalisation on two sides,’ he said. ‘On the one hand there are the salafists and the jihadis, on the other the extreme-right wing parties. The power of the centre, which defends the democratic rule of law, could do with some support.’