Farmers' Party (Netherlands)

Farmers' Party
Boerenpartij
AbbreviationBP
LeaderHendrik Koekoek
Founded1958
Dissolved1981
Merged intoRight Wing People's Party
IdeologyAgrarianism
Conservative liberalism
Dutch nationalism
Social conservatism
Right-wing populism
Political positionRight-wing

The Farmers' Party (Dutch: Boerenpartij, BP) was a Dutch agrarian political party, with a strong conservative outlook and a populist appeal. The BP was the first anti-establishment party elected into the Dutch House of Representatives after the Second World War.

The BP was founded by Hendrik Koekoek. The party gained prominence in several Gelderland municipalities under the "Free Farmers" lists. The BP officially applied to participate in the 1959 elections, focusing on issues such as government intervention in farming and promoting political and economic freedom. In the 1963 elections, the BP won three seats in the House of Representatives, followed by two seats in the Senate in 1966. However, internal struggles and leadership issues led to the party's decline. In the 1981 elections, the BP was renamed the Right-wing People's Party but failed to win a seat. The BP drew support from farmers and small business owners, both rural and urban. Comparisons can be made to Eastern European farmers' parties and the French party led by Pierre Poujade.


© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search