NCTV warned for years about ‘polarising’ political parties

National terrorism coordinator NCTV has been secretly reporting on “polarizing” political parties in recent years. In confidential messages to municipalities, police, ministries and foreign intelligence services, Denk is referred to as a mouthpiece for Muslim fundamentalism. According to the NCTV, the PVV contributes to “radicalization”. This is apparent from 159 internal messages released after a Wob request from NRC†

Last year, then minister Ferd Grapperhaus (Justice and Security, CDA) assured members of parliament that they had never been the subject of NCTV reports. The coordinator would only follow politicians on social media to assess the threat to them. This following has “nothing at all to do with what that politician does or thinks” but is only done for “your own safety”, said Grapperhaus in the Chamber† The released documents now show that the NCTV did indeed use online information ‘about politicians’ for analyzes about political parties.

The NCTV says that the House was not misinformed. In order to ‘properly estimate’ trends and phenomena, such as Salafism, according to the NCTV it has become ‘inevitable’ that ‘public statements of relevant players (…) come into the picture’. That is why statements of ‘individuals’ were interpreted, ‘also of politicians’, says the NCTV.

The analyzes ended up in the so-called Internet Monitoring Weekly Messages: confidential reports with which the NCTV informed other government organizations about developments surrounding extremism.

According to its own lawyers, NCTV operated in violation of the law, the minister also knew

Think is covered in at least six newsletters. For example, the NCTV warned in 2017 that the party promotes the idea that Muslims in the Netherlands are treated differently than non-Muslims. “This can fuel mistrust of government and potentially fuel anti-democratic tendencies.” The NCTV also appears to keep an eye on Denk’s Facebook page; on this, “anyone who questions the way of working” of the party would be labeled as “enemy”, “Zionist” or “Nazi”. The NCTV also comments on statements by Think MP Tunahan Kuzu. By lashing out strongly at a refugee Turkish editor-in-chief, Kuzu would “implicitly” support “Turkish government policy”. Some reports state that leading Muslim fundamentalists have issued a voting recommendation for Denk. According to the NCTV, Denk would “function as a political platform for political Salafism in the House of Representatives”.

Other parties are also mentioned in NCTV messages. Briefly, attention is paid to Article 1 (now BIJ1) and FVD leader Thierry Baudet. The analyzes about the PVV are much more extensive. According to the NCTV, Geert Wilders’s party is increasingly distancing itself from extreme right-wing organizations. Where extremists were previously banned from PVV meetings, the party allows them in 2018 at a manifestation in Rotterdam. “With far-right activist groups, this ‘acceptance’ can be seen as a victory and as confirmation that they are right that more and more of their ideas have apparently been adopted by an established party like the PVV,” the NCTV notes.

According to the coordinator, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between the extreme right and the PVV, partly because Wilders makes hashtags such as #KomInVerzet popular, which are subsequently adopted by extreme right-wing organizations. In 2017, the NCTV reported on a campaign by Wilders in which he pits “Dutch people” against “foreigners”. With this he would ‘contribute to a breeding ground for radicalization’.

‘Tendentious and framing’

The NCTV’s interest in politicians is extremely sensitive. The organization falls directly under the Minister of Justice and Security and may not use its powers against parliamentarians. Precisely to avoid the appearance of this, the NCTV’s periodic threat analyzes never address political parties. And rightly so, says professor of constitutional law Paul Bovend’Eert of Radboud University. “The minister cannot simply have information collected about parties. This requires serious suspicion that a party is acting contrary to public order.” Gathering information is not without obligation, says Bovend’Eert. “By spreading alarming information about a party, you contribute to file building. Other government agencies can take measures themselves on the basis of that information.”

Think party chairman Farid Azarkan calls the released messages about his party “tendentious and framing”. “If you send this to other agencies, they will also get a negative image of Denk and they will act accordingly.” The PVV says the messages “to view and study”. In addition to political parties, the released reports concern extreme right-wing and especially Islamic organizations and leaders. A group of preachers that the NCTV labels as “Salafists” are the constant subject of the reports. The NCTV warns that they preach “dislike” of Dutch society.

The NCTV now emphasizes that the Weekly reports are a “product of the past”. The coordinator stopped reporting last year after NRC revealed that the NCTV was collecting information online about citizens, activists, politicians and religious leaders in violation of the law. The cabinet wants to give the NCTV those powers in a new law. Whether the House of Representatives agrees with this is uncertain. The proposal has been criticized a lot and coalition party D66 has already opposed it.