A majority in the House of Representatives is concerned about a broadcast by broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland (ON) about the extreme right-wing and controversial population theory. The parties VVD, D66, PvdA, GL, PvdD, CU, Denk, Volt and the member Gündogan (92 seats in all) want such a broadcast not to take place again and have Parliamentary questions submitted with media minister Gunay Uslu (D66).
According to the repopulation theory, which belongs in the domain of conspiracy theories, the European population is being replaced by non-Europeans who are mainly Muslim. This theory finds worldwide support among extreme right-wing parties and is mainly used in the Netherlands by FVD and PVV. On a broadcast of Unheard of News from May 10 the radical right-wing Flemish politician Filip Dewinter spoke about this concept.
“Our nation is being replaced by another nation. Along with that population swap comes a civilization swap. Our way of life is being replaced by immigrants,” says Dewinter in the broadcast, after which women with headscarves can be seen walking through Dutch streets. “Europe becomes Eurabia.”
Attacks
The broadcast, in which Dewinter remained unchallenged, is dangerous according to Member of Parliament Sjoerd Sjoerdsma (D66). „These same theories formed [sic] the basis for attacks in Oslo, Christchurch and most recently Buffalo,” said Sjoerdsma, referring to a series of attacks carried out by supporters of far-right conspiracy theories that killed a total of nearly 150 people. “The AIVD also warns against it.”
In a response to the NOS, chairman of Ongehoord Nederland Arnold Karskens says that Dewinter is a legitimate guest in the program and that the political parties paint a “false narrative” about the broadcast. In the relevant episode of Unheard of News According to him, there was talk about the ‘negative consequences of immigration’ for the Netherlands. PVV MP Martin Bosma calls asking the parliamentary questions ‘terrifying’† The submitting parties would ask the government to “limit freedom of expression, curtail journalistic freedom and intervene in the state broadcaster”.