Populisten in de polder

Populisme is ‘in’, zowel in Nederland als elders in Europa, Noord-Amerika (Tea Party), Zuid-Amerika (de Venezolaanse president Hugo Chávez), tot in Thailand. Maar het populisme blijft een bijna ongrijpbaar fenomeen, ook in de Hollandse polders. Politici die voor populist worden uitgemaakt, wijzen die benaming vaak verontwaardigd van de hand. Wetenschappers en journalisten strooien soms erg nonchalant met het woord. De auteurs van dit boek willen dat vermijden. Na een zorgvuldige omschrijving van het verschijnsel gaan ze na in hoeverre en wanneer het populisme in Nederland is voorgekomen. Daarbij komen niet alleen Pim Fortuyn en Geert Wilders aan bod, maar ook Jan Marijnissen en hun uiteenlopende voorgangers (van Joan Derk baron van der Capellen tot Den Pol tot Boer Koekoek). Eén ding is duidelijk: het populisme mag dan eenvoudige oplossingen verkondigen voor ingewikkelde problemen, maar het is niet minder complex dan andere politieke stromingen

Netherlands:Civil democracy protection and the marginal role of anti-extremist organisations

Anti-extremist organisations have been relatively weak in the Netherlands – as have extremist organisations – both before and after the Second World War. In the 1930s, the mass organisation Unity through Democracy recruited at its peak 30,000 members in its campaign against National-Socialism and communism, while the Dutch Committee of Vigilance of antinational-socialist intellectuals remained (intentionally) much smaller. Both may have exercised some influence on public opinion. After 1945, educational and investigative campaigns against right-wing extremism have been initiated by the Anne Frank Foundation and the KAFKA collective, without recruiting members. In particular the former enjoys a good reputation and may have influenced public opinion, though it is difficult to measure this

Netherlands:Civil democracy protection and the marginal role of anti-extremist organisations

Anti-extremist organisations have been relatively weak in the Netherlands – as have extremist organisations – both before and after the Second World War. In the 1930s, the mass organisation Unity through Democracy recruited at its peak 30,000 members in its campaign against National-Socialism and communism, while the Dutch Committee of Vigilance of antinational-socialist intellectuals remained (intentionally) much smaller. Both may have exercised some influence on public opinion. After 1945, educational and investigative campaigns against right-wing extremism have been initiated by the Anne Frank Foundation and the KAFKA collective, without recruiting members. In particular the former enjoys a good reputation and may have influenced public opinion, though it is difficult to measure this

Netherlands:Civil democracy protection and the marginal role of anti-extremist organisations

Anti-extremist organisations have been relatively weak in the Netherlands – as have extremist organisations – both before and after the Second World War. In the 1930s, the mass organisation Unity through Democracy recruited at its peak 30,000 members in its campaign against National-Socialism and communism, while the Dutch Committee of Vigilance of antinational-socialist intellectuals remained (intentionally) much smaller. Both may have exercised some influence on public opinion. After 1945, educational and investigative campaigns against right-wing extremism have been initiated by the Anne Frank Foundation and the KAFKA collective, without recruiting members. In particular the former enjoys a good reputation and may have influenced public opinion, though it is difficult to measure this