Republiek (political Organisation)
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Republiek is a Dutch republican
pressure group Advocacy groups, also known as lobby groups, interest groups, special interest groups, pressure groups, or public associations, use various forms of advocacy or lobbying to influence public opinion and ultimately public policy. They play an impor ...
advocating for the replacement of the
Dutch Monarchy The monarchy of the Netherlands is governed by the country's charter and constitution, roughly a third of which explains the mechanics of succession, accession, and abdication; the roles and duties of the monarch; the formalities of communica ...
with a ''de jure''
parliamentary republic A parliamentary republic is a republic that operates under a parliamentary system of government where the Executive (government), executive branch (the government) derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (the parliament). ...
, founded in January 1998 in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
by
Ewout Irrgang Ewout Irrgang (born 20 July 1976 in Utrecht) is a former Dutch politician, anti-globalization activist and banking employee. As a member of the Socialist Party (Socialistische Partij) he was an MP from 6 October 2005 to 19 September 2012. He ...
and Elisabeth van der Steenhoven, under the previous name Nieuw Republikeins Genootschap (NRG). It is a member organisation of the Alliance of European Republican Movements and is currently the largest organisation solely campaigning for a republican
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
for The Netherlands. Republiek states that its mission is: "To achieve the abolition of the Dutch monarchy in favour of a democratic republic".


Aims

Republiek opposes the Dutch
monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
because of its hereditary nature and seeks to form a
parliamentary republic A parliamentary republic is a republic that operates under a parliamentary system of government where the Executive (government), executive branch (the government) derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (the parliament). ...
through democratic means. Republiek seeks to bridge the discrepancy between the Dutch form of government and its democratic order by creating a republican form of government. It aims to achieve this by critically examining incidents and developments and stimulating discussion of the matter. Republiek is active in this field both nationally and regionally. The association only wants to make use of legal means, including both spoken and written word. All forms of physical violence, as well as activities that are contrary to generally accepted forms of behaviour, are explicitly rejected. This includes personal attacks, for example on the members of the royal family. The association is open to anyone, regardless of political conviction or social standing, and has both members and sympathisers.


History

The immediate cause of the establishment of the NRG were the celebrations which marked the sixtieth anniversary of
Queen Beatrix Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix was born during the reign of her maternal gr ...
and the closing of the
Dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
for these festivities. On 20 January 1998, the NRG released a Republican manifesto, and on 29 January of the same year former NRG spokesman Erik van den Muijzenberg, under the eyes of the international press, proclaimed the Third Republic of the Netherlands on
Dam Square Dam Square or the Dam () is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital and most populated city of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the best-known and most important locations in the city and the country. ...
. In 2005, the Republican Society and New Republican Society co-founded the magazine '' De Republikein'' ("The Republican"); all 1300 NRG members at the time automatically became subscribers. From a small movement with a few members, the organization in eight years time grew into a union with more than 1,300 members and seven regional offices as of 2006. The society protested the wedding of Crown Prince
Willem-Alexander Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born 27 April 1967) is King of the Netherlands since 30 April 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht during the reign of his maternal grandmother, Queen Juliana, as the eldest ch ...
and Princess
Maxima Zorreguieta Maxima may refer to: People * Maxima of Rome, early Christian saint and martyr * Maxima of Lisbon, early Christian saint and martyr * Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (born 1971) * Máxima Acuña, Peruvian activist * Maximilla, also known as M ...
on 2 February 2002. Following the enlargement of the European Union, thirteen Republican organizations from all the monarchies of the EU on 1 May 2004, sent a petition to the European Parliament. The thirteen organizations asked the abolishment of constitutional monarchy throughout the European Union. The petition is an initiative of the Belgian Republican Circle (Republikeinse Kring-CRK). In the Netherlands, the petition was signed by the NRG. In June 2010, several European republican movements, including the NRG, founded the AERM: the Alliance of European Republican Movements. This organisation is an umbrella of republican organisations in the seven main European countries that are still monarchies. Early April 2013, the NRG reported having seen its membership grown rapidly with 800 people in the preceding two months (on top of the 1200 there were in January). It attributed this growth to the ' Orange hype' in the run-up to the investiture of Willem-Alexander later that month. Chair Anjo Clement claimed on 21 April 2013 that the monarchy would not exist in twenty years time, because of the bumpy road Willem-Alexander has had on his way to become king, especially regarding his villa in Mozambique and the denial of Zorreguieta's part in Argentina's dictatorship during the
Dirty War The Dirty War () is the name used by the military junta or National Reorganization Process, civic-military dictatorship of Argentina () for its period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983. During this campaign, military and secu ...
. A citizen's initiative on the monarch's salary started by the NRG was signed by over 13,000 people. Each year, the NRG awards the title of Republican of the Year to the person that has best encouraged discussion on the abolishment of the monarchy. In 2015, comedian
Arjen Lubach Arjen Henrik Lubach (; born 22 October 1979) is a Dutch comedian, author, music producer and television presenter. Between 2014 and 2021 he was the host of the weekly news satire television show '' Zondag met Lubach'' (Sunday with Lubach) on NP ...
was given the award for the 22 March 2015 episode of his satirical talkshow ''Zondag met Lubach'', in which he mocked the monarchy by proclaiming himself "Pharaoh of the Netherlands" and launched a
citizens' initiative A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put directly to a plebiscite o ...
with more than 100,000 signatures to confirm it. He succeeded Utrecht student Joanna, who in 2013 caused national uproar by publicly protesting with a sign that said: "Weg met de monarchie. Het is 2013." ("Down with the monarchy. It's 2013").


Organisation

From 2020, the board of Republiek will be formed by a General Board and a Daily Board. The daily board has a seat on the general board and is supported in its activities by a campaign team. Floris Müller has been chairman since 2020, Bram van Montfoort has been working as a campaign manager since 2018.


Offsplits

* At the end of 2003, disagreement arose in the NRG about the invitation policy for an NRG theme night. In protest, Peter Nugter of the Republican Socialists, founded the New Republican Fellowship in 2004. This association has never become active, and was later dissolved. * In September 2004, board member Frits Hoogesteger left. He accused the NRG of onesidedness, because it allegedly only invited left-wing speakers. In January 2005, Hoogesteger founded the Republican Platform. Its website was updated for the last time in 2005.homepage Republikeins Platform
/ref> * Pro Republica emerged from the seceded
North Brabant North Brabant ( ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, Dutch Brabant or Hollandic Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to ...
regional branch of the NRG. After a period of division, it resumed collaboration with the NRG.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Republiek 1998 establishments in the Netherlands Republicanism in the Netherlands Republican organizations