VoorNederland
For the Netherlands Group Bontes/Van Klaveren |
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Abbreviation | VNL |
Leader | Jan Roos [1] |
Chairman | Laurence Stassen |
Secretary | Joram van Klaveren |
Treasurer | Johan Driessen |
Leader in the House of Representatives | Louis Bontes |
Founder | Louis Bontes Joram van Klaveren Johan Driessen |
Founded | 28 May 2014 |
Split from | Party for Freedom |
Headquarters | Het Plein 2 The Hague |
Ideology | Classical liberalism[2] Liberal conservatism[3] Euroscepticism[2] |
Political position | Right-wing[3] |
European affiliation | Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe |
International affiliation | None |
Colours | Blue |
Senate |
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House of Representatives |
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States-Provincial |
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European Parliament |
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Website | |
vnl.nu | |
Group Bontes/Van Klaveren (Dutch: Groep Bontes/Van Klaveren) – For the Netherlands (Dutch: VoorNederland – VNL) is a parliamentary group in the House of Representatives of the Netherlands formed on 15 April 2014 by Louis Bontes and Joram van Klaveren, two Members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands had left the Party for Freedom (PVV).[4][5]On 28 May 2014 Louis Bontes, Joram van Klaveren and Johan Driessen announced the formation of a new political party.
History[edit]
On May 28, 2014, the group officially founded a new political party, VoorNederland (VNL) (in English For the Netherlands or Pro-Netherlands), a classical liberal and Liberal conservatism[2] and Eurosceptic political party.[3]
On 13 November 2014, the party announced that it would cooperate with the UK Independence Party in the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe.[6][7]
In December 2014 and January 2015, VNL was joined by former PVV leader in the European Parliament Laurence Stassen[8] and, leading up to the 2015 provincial elections, two provincial PVV representatives from Groningen and Gelderland.[9] On 27 January 2015 it was announced that the members of the party Article 50 had voted to merge it into VoorNederland.[10]
On 21 April 2015 it was announced that jurist and former lawyer Bram Moszkowicz would become the party leader and lijsttrekker of VoorNederland at the next Dutch general election, planned for 2017,[11] but after nine months he was rejected by the party.[12]
Programme[edit]
VNL is a proponent of small government and supports the introduction of a low flat tax rate. Furthermore, it supports investment in the police and defence, seeks to limit the powers of the European Union to a free trade area, and wants a stricter immigration policy.[2]