The leader of the Dutch far-right Forum for Democracy (FvD) party, Thierry Baudet, was assaulted at a campaign event recently, just two days prior to the national elections, according to reports. This incident took place in a bar where Baudet was campaigning. He was assaulted with a beer bottle, struck in the back of the head and on his temple.
Following the attack, Baudet was quickly transported to a hospital in Groningen for medical help. The FvD party released a statement after the assault revealing that the Baudet’s condition was stable and that it seemed “everything will all be alright”.
This is not the first such incident involving the controversial politician. A similar episode of violence had occurred just last month when Baudet was struck on the head with an umbrella at an event in the Belgian city of Ghent.
The violent attack on Baudet has been widely denounced among Dutch politicians. Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte even expressed his displeasure at the incident, labeling the assault as “totally unacceptable”. He further called for respect towards politicians, emphasizing, “Don’t touch politicians.”
Widely known for its Eurosceptic position, Dutch nationalist ideology and anti-immigration policies, the Forum for Democracy party is currently expected to secure between three to five seats in the 150-member Dutch parliament. Over the last 20 years, far-right parties like the Freedom Party (PVV) and FvD have been gaining prominence in the political landscape of the Netherlands.
For more comprehensive details, refer to the original article on Jurist.