Farmers' Party (Netherlands)

Boerenpartei ( Peasant Party ) was a Dutch party that was represented from 1963 to 1981 with up to seven seats (of 150) in parliament. Party leader was the farmer Hendrik Koekoek, a former member of the Conservative Christelijk - Historic Unie.

Founding and achievements

The Peasant Party was against government intervention in agriculture and in 1959 entered in the electoral register. As a protest right party won in the mid- 1960s, however, followers from the middle class and urban residents who were unsatisfied with the development of society. Thus, it is quite comparable with the later Lijst Pim Fortuyn.

Beat your best score achieved, the party in the elections to the Provinciale Staten 1966, 6.7 percent. In the local elections two months later it was somewhat improved in each city; the general election in 1967 yielded 4.7 percent. For its time, with its relatively stable political conditions, these results were considered to be exceptionally good. However, the party had at that time already reached its peak. Internal conflicts, splits and scandals involving members of the Nazi past contributed to the decline of the party.

Decline and local party

In the parliamentary elections in 1977, the Peasant Party only won a seat in 1981, she took unsuccessfully under the name Clockwise Volkspartij part. In the municipality of Heerde, there are still a fraction Council. The municipal elections in 2010 brought her three seats, in front there were four.