Voorpost ("outpost, picket") is an ethno-nationalist (volksnationalist) group founded in Flanders, Belgium, by Karel Dillen in 1976 as a splinter from the Volksunie.[3] Voorpost pursues the irredentist ideal of a Greater Netherlands, a nation state that would unite all Dutch-speaking territories in Europe. It is active in Belgium, the Netherlands and South Africa.
The organisation has staged rallies on various topics, against Islam, leftist organizations, drugs, and socialism.[4]
Members include Vlaams Blok ideologue Roeland Raes and Vlaams Belang politician Luc Vermeulen.[5][6] Bart Vanpachtenbeke is the leader of Voorpost[1] (succeeding Johan Vanslamsbrouck). As of 2013 Nick van Mieghem is action leader for Flanders, replacing Luc Vermeulen.[2] Florens van der Kooi (formerly of the NNP) is action leader for the Netherlands.[6][7][8] Several members of the organisation were also members of the VMO (Vlaamse Militanten Orde), which was banned in 1983 due to several violent attacks against immigrants, Belgian French-speakers, and left-leaning organisations.[3]
The Dutch AIVD classified the group as far-right. It also concluded it does not have anti-democratic goals nor uses anti-democratic means.[9]
In 1986 the Dutch labour union FNV and the Anne Frank Foundation made a list of groups it considered racist and fascist which included Voorpost. Because of this members of Voorpost were barred from joining the FNV. A Dutch court ruled in 2012 this ban on Voorpost members was against the law as discrimination based on political opinion is illegal in the Netherlands.[10]
References
- ^ a b Van den Weygaerd, Luc. "Eerste "Identitair colloquium" in Edegem". Gazet van en voor Hove (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ a b Voorpost Vlaanderen stelt nieuwe actieleider voor, Het Laatste Nieuws, 30 June 2013 (in Dutch)
- ^ a b Martin Pütz, ed. (1994). Language contact and language conflict. John Benjamins. p. 251. ISBN 90-272-2142-1.
- ^ Rodrigues and Donselaar (eds), Monitor Racisme & Extremisme - Negende rapportage, Pallas Publications, Amsterdam University Press (2010), pp. 49-50 (online copy) (in Dutch)
- ^ Voorpost vist Roeland Raes op, Blokwatch, March 17, 2002 (in Dutch)
- ^ a b Voorpost webpage Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch)
- ^ Voorpost press release Archived 2013-06-26 at the Wayback Machine, December 5, 2011 listing Vanlamsbrouck as president (in Dutch)
- ^ Voorpost contact page, listing Vermeulen and Van der Kooi as action leaders (in Dutch)
- ^ "Afkalvend front, blijvend beladen (Eroding front, permanently loaded)" (PDF) (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ "Detail | College voor de Rechten van de Mens". www.mensenrechten.nl. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
External links
- Voorpost Official website (in Dutch)
