Editing Forum voor Democratie (section)

==History==
The FvD was established as a [[think tank]] whose main feat was campaigning in the [[2016 Dutch Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement referendum]] against the EU in general.<ref name="FT">{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/4520bb4c-07e3-11e7-97d1-5e720a26771b|publisher=[[Financial Times]]|date=14 March 2017|title=Populists seize the moment as Dutch fall out of love with EU|author=Joshua Chaffin}}</ref>

In September 2016, it converted itself into a political party and announced its intention to take part in the [[2017 Dutch general election|2017 general election]], where the FvD ended up with 1.8% of the vote and 2 seats, entering parliament for the first time. In February 2019, the FvD had nearly 31,000 members.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mebius |first1=Dion |title=Politieke partijen beperken ledenverlies, Forum voor Democratie op drie na grootste |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/politieke-partijen-beperken-ledenverlies-forum-voor-democratie-op-drie-na-grootste~ba2b0fcc/ |access-date=20 April 2019 |work=de Volkskrant |date=12 February 2019 |language=nl-NL}}</ref>

In February 2018, the party suffered from internal issues with a number of prominent members leaving the party because they felt the party had a lack of internal democracy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parool.nl/binnenland/uittocht-bij-forum-voor-democratie-houdt-aan~a4567887/|title=Uittocht bij Forum voor Democratie houdt aan - Binnenland - PAROOL|date=9 February 2018|website=Het Parool}}</ref>

In the [[2018 Dutch municipal elections|2018 municipal elections]], the FvD won three seats on the [[Amsterdam]] city council.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} The party only stood in Amsterdam. In Rotterdam however it endorsed the [[Livable Rotterdam]] party.<ref>[https://forumvoordemocratie.nl/actueel/fvd-en-leefbaar-rotterdam-starten-alliantie FvD en Leefbaar Rotterdam starten alliantie!] Forum voor Democratie, 13 juni 2017.</ref> During the [[2019 Dutch provincial elections|2019 provincial elections]], Forum for Democracy won 86 seats, spread across [[Dutch provinces|the twelve provinces of the Netherlands]]. In [[South Holland]], [[North Holland]], and [[Flevoland]], FvD became the largest party, winning 11, 9 and 8 seats respectively. In all other provinces, the party came either second or third in terms of numbers of votes. As populists, the bulk of the Forum's nominated parliamentary candidates did not have prior active experience in other political parties.<ref name="Spectator">{{cite web|url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/01/geert-wilders-doesnt-threaten-dutch-liberalism-hes-defending-it/|title=Geert Wilders doesn't threaten Dutch liberalism: he's defending it|date=28 January 2017|author=Douglas Murray}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://forumvoordemocratie.nl/kandidatenlijst |title=Forum voor Democratie |publisher=Forumvoordemocratie.nl |access-date=2017-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315000744/https://forumvoordemocratie.nl/kandidatenlijst |archive-date=2017-03-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 30 April 2020, Forum for Democracy formed a coalition with the [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] (CDA) in the North Brabant province, the first time the party had formally entered into the administration of a regional authority.<ref>[https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/04/cda-members-in-brabant-say-yes-to-alliance-with-far-right-fvd/ CDA members in Brabant say ‘yes’ to alliance with far-right FvD], dutchnews.nl, April 30, 2020, accessed 7 December 2020</ref> In late 2020, former [[VVD]] MP [[Wybren van Haga]] defected to the party. Van Haga left FVD six months after that.

In April and November 2020, the party became split following a series of controversies related to members of the FvD's youth wing making comments that were deemed to contain [[racism]] and [[homophobia]]. Baudet was also accused of endorsing antisemitic conspiracies, something he denied. This led to calls for Baudet to be removed as FvD leader and he temporarily stepped down. In December 2020, it was announced that Baudet had returned as party leader and would lead the FvD into the [[2021 Dutch general election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nltimes.nl/2020/12/27/fvd-presents-candidate-list-election-program-party-wants-netherlands-leave-eu|title=FvD presents candidate list and election program, party wants The Netherlands to leave the EU "in an intelligent way"|website=NL Times}}</ref>

At the 2021 general election, the party campaigned against [[COVID-19]] lockdown measures imposed by the Dutch government and managed to win eight MPs. Also, the issue of racist comments from youth members was brought up again as proof of these comments surfaced.<ref>{{cite news |title=Elsevier Weekblad: Baudet verstuurde zelf ook racistische appjes|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2367965-elsevier-weekblad-baudet-verstuurde-zelf-ook-racistische-appjes/ |access-date=13 March 2022 |work=NOS |date=9 February 2021 |language=nl-NL}}</ref> One of the accused youth members, [[Gideon van Meijeren]], was elected into parliament, as was youth wing chairman [[Freek Jansen]].

In May 2021, three of the FvD MPs (Van Haga, [[Hans Smolders]] and [[Olaf Ephraim]]) left the party to sit as independents in response to the FvD releasing a poster comparing the lockdown to the [[Nazi occupation of the Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Van Haga neemt afstand van 5 mei-poster van Forum voor Democratie|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2379598-van-haga-neemt-afstand-van-5-mei-poster-van-forum-voor-democratie|work=NOS|date=6 May 2021|access-date=13 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Van Haga en twee Kamerleden breken met Forum voor Democratie|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2021/05/13/van-haga-en-twee-kamerleden-splitsen-af-van-forum-voor-democratie-a4043462|last=Peek|first=Simone|work=NRC Handelsblad|date=13 May 2021|access-date=13 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Scheuring in Forum: Kamerlid Van Haga splitst zich af met twee anderen|url=https://nos.nl/l/2380516|work=nos.nl|access-date=2021-05-13}}</ref>

In 2022, the FvD regained representation in the European Parliament when [[Marcel de Graaff]] defected to the party. As a result, the FvD became a member of the [[Identity and Democracy]] group instead of the [[European Conservatives and Reformists]] (ECR). There are some reports{{which|date=April 2022}} that FvD was expelled from ECR in 2021, despite FvD displaying ECR on its own website.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} In March 2022, two of the party's Senators (Frentrop and Hiddema) resigned to sit as independents.<ref>[https://www.eerstekamer.nl/fractie/frentrop Fractie-Frentrop], Eerste Kamer, geraadpleegd 31 maart 2022.</ref>