The Dutch People's Union (, , NVU) is a Dutch far-right political party. The party espouses ethnic nationalism, advocates for the preservation of "Germanic Christian culture" in the Netherlands, and is a proponent of a Greater Netherlands.
According to the General Intelligence and Security Service, the NVU attracts traditional anti-Semitic neo-Nazis and aims to establish a one-party state in the Netherlands, in imitation of the Nazi Party. In the 2000s, the party was said to organize almost all right-wing extremist public demonstrations in the country.
History
Founding years (1971–1973) The Dutch People's Union (NVU) was founded as a political party on 27 May 1971 by Guus Looy, with as key purpose to rehabilitate convicted war criminals of World War II in the Netherlands. In 1973, the Belgian Roeland Raes, vice chairman of the Flemish secessionist political party , also became vice chairman of the NVU—reflecting the desire of both parties to unify the Dutch and Flemish political scenes.
Glimmerveen's first chairmanship (1974–1981) In 1974, Joop Glimmerveen, a former Labour Party member, joined the NVU and the party began agitating against the growing presence of migrant workers and Surinamese people in the Netherlands. With the backing of the party, Glimmerveen participated in the 1974 municipal council election in The Hague, using the slogan "The Hague must remain white and safe!" In the end, he was several hundred votes short of a seat. Later that year, Glimmerveen became chairman of the NVU.
According to a 1975 report from the Domestic Security Service, representatives of the NVU, including Glimmerveen, had been in talks with the Surinamese R.R. Nunes, who was said to be in contact with controversial Dutch military officer Raymond Westerling and who was alleged to have plans to form a mercenary army to seize power in Suriname. Glimmerveen had refused to work with the Surinamese G.A. Baker, who had also wanted to raise a mercenary army in which Glimmerveen, a veteran of the Korean War, had been offered to work as an instructor.
In 1976, the NVU distributed an inflammatory pamphlet during street brawls between locals and immigrants in Schiedam. In 1977, the party organized a demonstration in Soestduinen, in which a number of neo-fascists and former members of the wartime National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands participated. Afterwards, several people were convicted for the content of their speeches.
Attempts by the Ministry of Justice to ban the NVU culminated with a court order in 1978. Owing to a controversial decision to forbid but not actually dissolve the party, the NVU was able to continue its activities after the ban. Party confidence had plummeted, however, and in 1980 several members split to form the Centre Party—which itself would splinter again into the Centre Democrats (CD) and the Centre Party '86 (CP'86)—and the NVU found itself in a competitive struggle.
After a disappointing performance in the 1981 general election, Glimmerveen stepped down as chairman. The party tried to organize partnerships and mergers with other far-right parties, but these initiatives proved unfruitful.
Glimmerveen's second chairmanship (1983–1987) In 1983, Glimmerveen returned as chairman. A large number of street actions and demonstrations were organized in cooperation with the far-right youth organization Netherlands Youth Front (, JFN). For example, a counter-demonstration was held at the 1983 anti-nuclear weapons demonstration in The Hague. From 1984, the NVU also increasingly associated itself with Nazi Germany and wartime figures like Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess (incarcerated at Spandau Prison until his death in 1987) and Dutch Nazi collaborator Anton Mussert.
In 1987, Glimmerveen again stepped down as chairman and the party became inactive. The NVU was no longer viable as it had been outcompeted by the CD and CP'86, and it lacked members and funds.
Revival and Glimmerveen's third chairmanship (1996–2001) In 1996, young neo-Nazis Constant Kusters and Eite Homan (both of whom had ties with the American NSDAP/AO) approached Glimmerveen with the request to revive the party. This second iteration of the NVU hosted transnational events in which neo-Nazis from Belgium and Germany participated and the party competed in The Hague and Arnhem during the , though it again failed to win representation.