Voorpost

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.

Voorpost
Formation1976 (Flanders)
1978 (Netherlands)
Chairman
Bart Vanpachtenbeke[1]
Action leader Flanders
Nick Van Mieghem[2]
Action leader Netherlands
Florens van der Kooi
Websitevoorpost.org

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
  1. Van den Weygaerd, Luc. "Eerste "Identitair colloquium" in Edegem". Gazet van en voor Hove (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  2. Voorpost Vlaanderen stelt nieuwe actieleider voor, Het Laatste Nieuws, 30 June 2013 (in Dutch)
  3. Martin Pütz, ed. (1994). Language contact and language conflict. John Benjamins. p. 251. ISBN 90-272-2142-1.
  4. Rodrigues and Donselaar (eds), Monitor Racisme & Extremisme - Negende rapportage, Pallas Publications, Amsterdam University Press (2010), pp. 49-50 (online copy) (in Dutch)
  5. Voorpost vist Roeland Raes op, Blokwatch, March 17, 2002 (in Dutch)
  6. Voorpost webpage Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch)
  7. Voorpost press release Archived 2013-06-26 at the Wayback Machine, December 5, 2011 listing Vanlamsbrouck as president (in Dutch)
  8. Voorpost contact page, listing Vermeulen and Van der Kooi as action leaders (in Dutch)
  9. https://www.aivd.nl/binaries/aivd_nl/documenten/publicaties/2010/11/02/aivd-rapport-dreiging-vanuit-extreemrechts-en-rechts-extremisme-gering/20101102+Afkalvend+front%2C+blijvend+beladen.pdf
  10. "Detail | College voor de Rechten van de Mens". www.mensenrechten.nl. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2022.


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