The chief of a Dutch far-right celebration will get assaulted with a beer bottle 2 days earlier than election
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The chief of a far-right Dutch populist celebration was hit on the top with a beer bottle Monday in an assault that came about two days earlier than the Netherlands holds a normal election.
Thierry Baudet, chief of Forum for Democracy, was taken to a hospital within the northern metropolis of Groningen after the assault at a neighborhood occasion, the celebration mentioned in a message on X, previously Twitter.
“It looks like everything will all be alright,” the celebration mentioned. It later mentioned Baudet, 40, was handled by a trauma surgeon after being hit on the again of the top and subsequent to his eye with a beer bottle. It mentioned a safety guard additionally was injured.
Video on social media confirmed Baudet in a bar when his attacker lunged at him. Baudet was shortly taken away and the attacker overpowered.
Police spokesman Thijs de Jong mentioned an individual was arrested on suspicion of involvement within the assault. He mentioned the motive was below investigation.
“What we can say at the moment is that Mr. Baudet was hit on the head, possibly with an object,” De Jong mentioned. He mentioned he couldn’t give additional particulars or touch upon Baudet’s situation.
Baudet‘s party said on X that an event that had been planned for later Monday in another city had been canceled “in connection with the health and security” of him. It did not elaborate.
Baudet is running to keep his seat in parliament.
Forum for Democracy leapt to prominence in provincial elections in 2019, where it was the winner with more than 1 million votes. It has since been troubled by internal discontent but still holds five seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament.
A poll published Monday night predicted Forum for Democracy would win between three and five seats in the election. Another populist right-wing party, the Party for Freedom led by anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, ranked second in the poll and was forecast to win 22 to 28 seats.
In 2020, Baudet resigned as the party’s chief amid criticism of his dealing with of accusations of extreme-right views held by some members of the celebration’s youth wing. He was overwhelmingly returned as chief in a vote amongst celebration members.
Last month, Baudet was hit on the top with an umbrella at an occasion within the Belgian metropolis of Ghent.
Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte mentioned in a message on X that it was “totally unacceptable that Thierry Baudet has been attacked again. I said it before and I repeat it now firmly: Don’t touch politicians.”
Rutte mentioned he had contacted Baudet to want him good well being.
More than twenty years in the past, one other populist Dutch politician, Pim Fortuyn, was fatally shot by an animal rights activist days earlier than a 2002 nationwide election.
