In March of 2021, Dutch farmers staged a large protest in The Hague in support of controversial politicians, US President Donald Trump and French National Front leader Marine Le Pen. The event was seen as a show of support for far-right political ideologies and for the farmers’ own cause of fighting for a reform of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy.
The protest had an immediate impact on Dutch politics, as the country’s parliamentary elections were held just days after the demonstration. Many of the political parties that had been expected to win the most seats in the Dutch parliament lost their majority, with the far-right Forum for Democracy (FvD) party coming out as the biggest winner.
The FvD’s success was largely attributed to its support from Dutch farmers, who had been energized by the pro-Trump and Le Pen demonstration. The result of the elections has been seen as a major shock in Dutch politics, as the FvD is the first far-right party to have such a strong showing in the country’s politics in decades.