The extreme right in the Netherlands

The Extreme Right in the Netherlands has always been relatively weak; there was neither a strong ideological right-wing tradition nor a solid social base. Moreover, the Extreme Right has always been fragmented and divided. Historically, three varieties can be distinguished: theocratic Protestantism (‘Very Old Right’), neo-fascism or national socialism (‘Old Right’) and ethnocentric nationalism (‘New Right’). The third variety, since 1984 represented by the Centre Democrats, has gained some ground in recent years. Though reliable data are still scarce, it seems plausible that the party has attracted not only ideologically motivated extremists but also ‘protest voters’, mainly in older urban working class areas.