Centre Democrats (Netherlands)
The Centre Democrats was a political party in the Netherlands. Founded in 1984 by members who split out from the Centre Party (CP), the Centre Democrats was joined one month later by the only CP Member of Parliament—Hans Janmaat. Janmaat went on to become the leader of the party, which subsequently became strongly centered on his person. The newly formed Centre Democrats represented the more moderate faction of the Centre Party, but espoused an anti-immigration and nationalist ideology. Their claims of standing in the centre of the political landscape have thus been disputed by political scientists.
Hans Janmaat as a Member of Parliament in early 1984 (while still representing the Centre Party).
Demonstration against Janmaat during the swearing in of the House of Representatives in 1989.
Supporters of the Center Democrats protests against the muslim Feast of Sacrifice
Centre Party (Netherlands)
The Centre Party was a Dutch nationalist, right-wing extremist political party espousing an anti-immigrant program. The party was founded by Henry Brookman in 1980, and was represented by Hans Janmaat in the Dutch House of Representatives from 1982, until he was expelled from the party in 1984 and joined the more moderate Centre Democrats. The CP, as well as the CD, was subject to a cordon sanitaire by the other parties in the House of Representatives. After much infighting and finally legal proceedings against the party, it was declared bankrupt in 1986. The party was soon after succeeded by the Centre Party '86, which would become increasingly radical, until it was banned in 1998.
Demonstration outside parliament in The Hague against the entrance of the Centre Party in the House in 1982. In the picture, a large banner reading "they are back."
Janmaat, leader of the Centre Party, during a television broadcast for political parties (February 1984).