Far-right extremism a growing threat to Dutch democracy - agency

Far-right extremism presents a growing threat to Dutch democracy, according to an assessment by the domestic intelligence agency released on Thursday, which also noted a greater danger of acts of terror.

Far-right extremist groups have gained more followers over the past year and their views have reached a wider range of people, the AIVD intelligence service said in its yearly report.

The far-right scene welcomes chaos and violence in the hopes of toppling the established order in the Netherlands by force, the analysts said in the report. If right-wing extremist ideas gain a greater following, this could present a long-term danger to the basic democratic order, which is based on diversity and equal rights.

Protests against regulations imposed to contain the pandemic and other government authorities have also grown more radical, the agency noted, adding that threats had almost doubled against politicians, academics and journalists. They said politicians had been threatened 600 times while 272 threats had been made against journalists.

Some extremists had made preparations for acts of violence, including targeting Prime Minister Mark Rutte, among others, the analysts warned.

The report said the growth in radicalization was fuelled by activity in right-wing media channels.

Right-wing extremists have also infiltrated critics of government measures and incited them which could lead to acts of violence or even to a terrorist attack, the report said.