Dutch Far-Right Party Surges Under New Female Leader
Amsterdam, 30 March 2026
Forum voor Democratie has dramatically expanded its political influence since 28-year-old Lidewij de Vos replaced Thierry Baudet as party leader in August 2025. The anti-immigration party won nearly 300 municipal council seats in March 2026, compared to just 47 in 2022, becoming the largest party in multiple Dutch municipalities including Velsen and Epe. De Vos, who joined the party aged 18 alongside her entire family, has defended candidates with racist statements and controversial extremist contacts whilst maintaining the party’s hardline stance on asylum seekers and immigration policy.
From Student Activist to Party Leader
De Vos’s political journey began on 5 August 2017, when she first engaged with Forum voor Democratie through the party’s summer academy app group [1]. At just 18 years old, she signed a referendum request regarding the EU-Ukraine association agreement on her birthday, demonstrating early political engagement [1]. Her entire family joined Forum in 2017, including her sister, mother, and grandfather Wim Rietdijk, a physicist and philosopher who had called immigration an ‘ingrijpende ramp’ (devastating disaster) in 2013 [1]. De Vos graduated cum laude from Sorghvliet Gymnasium in The Hague and studied Molecular Life Sciences at Utrecht University before switching to Neurosciences in Rotterdam [1]. Her political awakening intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she expressed disappointment at the lack of academic criticism, as she told Nieuwe Revu in March 2026 [1].
Controversial Associations and Radical Positions
Throughout her decade-long involvement with Forum, de Vos has maintained connections with controversial figures and defended extremist elements within the party [1]. Her partner, Massimo Etalle, whom she met at the 2017 FVD summer school in Limburg, attended a lecture by Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner in January 2025 to interview him for the JFVD publication De Dissident [1]. When questioned about foreign right-wing extremists attending the JFVD Christmas gala, de Vos dismissed concerns as ‘zonde van onze tijd’ (waste of our time) in comments to NOS [1]. In mid-March 2026, she refused to distance herself from the Forum candidate in Den Bosch who had been convicted of assault three times [1]. Despite stating in October 2025 that ‘Wie geweld pleegt, wordt geroyeerd’ (those who commit violence will be expelled), her actions suggest a more tolerant approach to controversial candidates [1].
Municipal Election Breakthrough and Political Impact
The March 2026 municipal elections marked a watershed moment for Forum under de Vos’s leadership, with the party securing nearly 300 seats compared to just 47 in 2022—a staggering increase of 538.298 per cent [1][4]. Forum became the largest party in Velsen with eight seats and also topped the vote in Epe and Moerdijk [4][6]. The party now holds representation in over 100 municipal councils across the Netherlands [4][6]. This electoral success has prompted warnings from political scientists, with six experts stating that FVD’s rise poses a threat to democracy [4]. Léonie de Jonge and Simon Otjes published an opinion piece on 26 March 2026, urging journalists to be aware of their responsibility in preventing the strengthening of antidemocratic and extreme-right ideas [4].
Implications for Asylum Seekers and Immigration Policy
The expansion of Forum’s political influence carries direct consequences for asylum seekers currently residing in Dutch reception centres. In municipalities where Forum has gained significant representation, local officials are already feeling pressure regarding asylum policy implementation [6]. Emmy Lamers, faction leader of Heemskerk Lokaal, noted during the campaign that Forum made promises about preventing asylum seeker centres that exceed local government authority, stating: ‘Zij roepen dat er geen azc komt, maar daar gaan ze niet over. Wij gaan gewoon de wet uitvoeren’ (They claim no asylum centre will come, but that’s not their decision. We will simply implement the law) [6]. However, the party’s growing presence in over 100 municipal councils means their anti-immigration stance could influence local housing allocation policies, reception facility decisions, and integration programme funding—all critical factors affecting the daily lives and future prospects of asylum seekers awaiting status determination [6][GPT].