Questions about far-right FvD event at U.S. embassy

Various parties in parliament raised questions about an FvD event at the American embassy in Wassenaar earlier this month. De Groene Amsterdammer revealed that the embassy hosted a kind of fundraising party for far-right politician Thierry Baudet and his party.

Members of FvD and entrepreneurs attended. American ambassador Pete Hoekstra also spoke at the event, according to De Groene Amsterdammer.

The VVD, D66, GroenLinks and SP raised questions on whether this kind of event is allowed, NOS reports. "Of course this should not have happened," GroenLinks MP Bram van Oijk said to the broadcaster. "This is interference in our elections."

SP parliamentarian Sadet Karabulut also raised concerns about election meddling. "Hoekstra thinks he should help the FvD to fill the party cash box. Has Minister [Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs] addressed him about this yet?"

The D66 thinks that this event may have violated international treaties on the use of embassies. "Text and explanation are needed here," parliamentarian Sjoerd Sjoerdsma said.

Sven Koopmans of government party VVD told NOS that Hoekstra is known to have a lot of contact with various political parties. Hoekstra and Koopmans once arranged a so-called town hall meeting in Hoofddorp together once. But he added: "A fundraising event at the embassy is something else and not desirable."