FvD Senator condemns party members' Second World War comparisons

FvD member of the Eerste Kamer Theo Hiddema said he does not condone his fellow party members making comparisons to the Second World War. "These are peripheral phenomena that I want to act against," he said on Saturday in response to a tweet made by the youth branch of the party, JFVD. The youth organization wished people a "Happy Yule and a Merry Christmas," referring to an old Germanic midwinter festival that played an important role in Nazi Germany.

"Where do you celebrate the Yule festival, by the way? The last official celebrations were held in Camp Westerbork. Maybe a good location to reanimate this healthy folk tradition," Hiddema replied ironically. Hiddema said he made it known that he did not like his party references to the Second World War.

FvD leader Thiery Baudet recently compared coronavirus measures to the persecution of Jews in the 1930s and 40s. Hiddema also called the tweet for which the Baudet had to answer in court "repulsive". A court-ordered Baudet to delete tweets earlier this month stating that unvaccinated people are "the new Jews and the looking-away excluders are the new Nazis and NSB members." The party leader also posted a picture of a child waiting to be deported with a Star of David next to a photo of a child who could not come close to Sinterklaas due to corona measures. Jewish groups filed summary proceedings against Baudet, stating that his tweets downplayed the Holocaust.

Hiddema said he does not want to be associated with these type of comparisons. Yet, the Eerste Kamer member saw no reason to leave the party. According to him, the VFD has a "wonderful program" and is open to internal criticism.

"Yule has nothing to do with the Second World War - it is Hiddema who makes the comparison," a FvD spokesperson said. The party stated that the festival is celebrated in the Netherlands as part of the Christmas tradition. Christmas trees and mistletoes come from the Germanic festival, according to the FvD.