The Hague: Noureddine Amrani

This headline may be disturbing to some and understandable to others, but when considering the current situation in the Netherlands, particularly regarding the severity of the repeated attacks and assaults targeting local and national officials in Limburg, these officials have expressed their rejection of intimidation through advertisements, posters, and threats perpetrated by citizens steeped in extremist ideologies.

In response to such aggressive behavior, mayors and other officials from the Limburg municipality have condemned all forms of threats and intimidation targeting municipal and district officials in the performance of their duties. These officials issued their appeal in a large advertisement published in the newspaper Die Limburger, under the headlines "Stop it, Limburg has put an end to it" and "We're fed up with the shouting, insults, and intimidation. Enough is enough!" The appeal was also signed by the King's Commissioner, Emil Römer, former leader of the Socialist Party, who called for an end to the threats and intimidation of officials. He stated, "Democracy cannot do without officials entrusted with the responsibility of making decisions. There are democratically representative bodies that engage in marathon debates despite the difficulty of the issues at hand." More than 900 officials in the Limburg region are subjected to all forms of threats, contempt, insults, and slander via email and anonymous threats. Regional Commissioner Emile Roemer, in a statement to the Dutch television channel NOS, stressed that officials are no longer able to carry out their duties freely, considering such practices a blatant attack on the foundations of democracy.

The threats and attacks have intensified due to the campaign led by opponents of establishing asylum centers, a campaign spearheaded by supporters of right-wing parties, particularly the extreme right.

The mayor of Venlo, the hometown of Geert Wilders, who calls for the expulsion of refugees and for closing the Netherlands to what he calls the "danger of Islamization of Dutch society," has been subjected to threats.

Roemer, who was dismissed, demanded that the protection afforded to all officials be changed, especially in these difficult circumstances facing the region due to the escalating threats and intimidation targeting state officials, whether in Limburg or other areas that have not been spared from unjustified protests. Several municipalities in cities and villages across the Netherlands have witnessed violent demonstrations protesting the opening of asylum centers, employing tactics of enticement, intimidation, and fear, as happened to the mayor of Venlo. Ternuzen, who resigned immediately due to the escalating threat.

Faced with this abnormal situation, Commissioner Emile Römer described what had happened and was happening as "an indescribable scandal." He stressed the need to provide security and protection for all politicians and demanded that politicians and mayors be left alone. He called on the responsible authorities in The Hague government to fulfill their responsibility in implementing the laws for distributing refugees across Dutch cities and towns, instead of adding fuel to the fire, as he stated in his response to a question from the NOS news agency. This appeal was directed not only to the Hague government but also to all citizens, emphasizing that everyone has the right to express their opinion, but with respect for officials and others, and tolerance, without harming anyone or restricting their personal freedom.

Statistics from last year indicated that approximately 45% of political officials have been subjected to various forms of threats and intimidation since 2023. These figures are alarming on one hand and a threat to democracy on the other.