Hans Janmaat
Encyclopedia
Johannes Gerardus Hendrikus "Hans" Janmaat (November 3, 1934 - June 9, 2002) was a Dutch
politician of the Centre Party
(CP) and later his own formed Centre Democrats
(CD). He was Parliamentary leader
of the Centre Party
in the House of Representatives from September 16, 1982 until October 15, 1984 when he was expelled from the party. He later served as Parliamentary leader
of the Centre Democrats
in the House of Representatives from September 8, 1989 until May 19, 1998 when his party lost all its seats.
Although he was widely known, he was never a major force in the Dutch political landscape, partly because of a cordon sanitaire
imposed by the Third Lubbers cabinet.
in North Holland
, as the oldest of nine children in a traditional Roman Catholic family. His father was a salesman and insurance broker. When Janmaat was 4 years old, the family moved to Gouda
, where it would endure the war years
in relative peace.
After graduating in 1954, Janmaat started a study in aeronautical engineering, but had to drop out two years later after his father could no longer afford the tuition fees. Having to give up his studies to work was the first of many setbacks he would often refer to later in life.
In 1966 he married Belgian Evi Hock, having met her while working in Germany. In 1979, they divorced. In 1996, Janmaat married Wil Schuurman
. No children were born in either marriage.
In the early 1960s, Janmaat ran a furniture factory with two of his brothers, but it burned down in 1966. He used the insurance payout to study politicology at the University of Amsterdam. Fellow-students found him ambitious, provocative and witty. In 1969, he participated in the occupation of the Maagdenhuis, the university's administrative center, as part of a student protest. He completed his studies in 1972.
. He also ran a one-man consultancy for small businesses.
In 1972, he joined the Catholic People's Party
(KVP). He also worked in several commissions for the Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) party. Despite his efforts, he was not considered suitable for a front line position because of his capriciousness and tendency to go against the grain.
In the 1970s, he became more interested in the emerging issue of immigration
as large numbers of foreign worker
s came to the Netherlands. His increasingly radical stance lead to a break with the KVP as well as DS'70.
In 1980, he read an article in Vrij Nederland
which drew his attention to the recently founded extreme-right Centre Party
(CP). After several interviews, he joined the party as its seventh member. Starting as a publicity worker, he would rapidly rise to be the party's top and was its lijsttrekker
(top candidate) for the 1982 elections
. The party won a single seat in the House of Representatives, which went to Janmaat. Other political parties largely ignored and ostracized him.
(CD) in November 1984. Politically, the party did not differ greatly from the CP, except that it was strongly centered around Janmaat, to prevent another power struggle.
Several attempts were made to reconcile the differences between CP and CD. One such meeting in a hotel in Kedichem
was disrupted by left-wing activists, who set fire to the building. Janmaat narrowly escaped with his life, CD secretary (and later wife of Janmaat) Wil Schuurman lost a leg because of injuries sustained jumping out of a window to escape the fire.
In the 1986 election
, Janmaat lost his seat in parliament, however he regained his single seat in 1989
.
His biggest political success would be in the 1994 elections
, when he gained three seats. Major political parties changed their response to Janmaat and his views: rather than actively ignoring him they also started openly addressing the issue of immigration. In the 1998 election
the CD lost all three of its seats. Janmaat had become increasingly paranoid and said that computers used for voting had been tampered with.
In 1999, Janmaat was in the process of starting another party, the Conservative Democrats, however it did not get off the ground and did not participate in the 2002 election
.
His failing health forced him to withdraw from politics, however the changing political climate did prompt him to challenge his conviction for discrimination at the European Court of Justice
. Janmaat's death in 2002 halted the case.
. Disappointing economic growth, unemployment and government cutbacks could not be addressed while large numbers of immigrants were flowing in to the country. Janmaat was against a multicultural society
: immigrants should either assimilate into Dutch culture, or return to their country of birth.
His best known slogans were "Holland is not a country of immigration," "full=full" and "we will abolish the multicultural society, as soon as we get the chance and power"; he was convicted for the latter two statements. According to Jan van de Beek, Hans Janmaat often used economic arguments in his tirades against immigrants.
He often walked a fine line between freedom of speech
and hate speech
, and would eventually receive fines and a conditional prison sentence for incitement to hatred and discrimination against foreigners.
Widely considered uncharismatic, he occasionally made rude statements about immigrants and other politicians. He argued that Ernst Hirsch Ballin
should not be allowed to hold a high office because of his Jewish heritage and said he was not saddened by the sudden death of political opponent Ien Dales
.
around Janmaat, ignoring him while he spoke in parliament. A taboo
on discussing negative aspects of immigration existed in the Dutch political climate in the 1980s.
Meindert Fennema, professor of political theory of ethnic relations at the University of Amsterdam, argued in 2006 that Janmaat was convicted for statements that are now commonplace due to changes in the political climate (caused in part by the September 11 attacks, and the assassinations of Pim Fortuyn
and Theo van Gogh
).
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
politician of the Centre Party
Centre Party (Netherlands)
The Centre Party was a Dutch nationalist extreme right-wing 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...
(CP) and later his own formed Centre Democrats
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 , 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...
(CD). He was Parliamentary leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
of the Centre Party
Centre Party (Netherlands)
The Centre Party was a Dutch nationalist extreme right-wing 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...
in the House of Representatives from September 16, 1982 until October 15, 1984 when he was expelled from the party. He later served as Parliamentary leader
Parliamentary group leader
The leader or chairman of a parliamentary group holds an influential political post in a parliamentary system with strong party discipline...
of the Centre Democrats
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 , 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...
in the House of Representatives from September 8, 1989 until May 19, 1998 when his party lost all its seats.
Although he was widely known, he was never a major force in the Dutch political landscape, partly because of a cordon sanitaire
Cordon sanitaire
Cordon sanitaire — or quarantine line — is a French phrase that, literally translated, means "sanitary cordon". Though in French it originally denoted a barrier implemented to stop the spread of disease, it has often been used in English in a metaphorical sense to refer to attempts to prevent the...
imposed by the Third Lubbers cabinet.
Early life
Johannes Gerardus Hendrikus Janmaat was born on November 3, 1934 in Nes aan de AmstelNes aan de Amstel
Nes aan de Amstel, is a small village which is part of the municipality of Amstelveen in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. The village, which as the name indicates is located on the River Amstel, and is situated on the edge of the Rond Hoep polder. It was established in the 16th century...
in North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
, as the oldest of nine children in a traditional Roman Catholic family. His father was a salesman and insurance broker. When Janmaat was 4 years old, the family moved to Gouda
Gouda
Gouda is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall....
, where it would endure the war years
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in relative peace.
After graduating in 1954, Janmaat started a study in aeronautical engineering, but had to drop out two years later after his father could no longer afford the tuition fees. Having to give up his studies to work was the first of many setbacks he would often refer to later in life.
In 1966 he married Belgian Evi Hock, having met her while working in Germany. In 1979, they divorced. In 1996, Janmaat married Wil Schuurman
Wil Schuurman
Wilhelmina Berendina Schuurman is a former Dutch politician who served from 1994 until 1998 in the House of Representatives on behalf of the Centre Democrats....
. No children were born in either marriage.
In the early 1960s, Janmaat ran a furniture factory with two of his brothers, but it burned down in 1966. He used the insurance payout to study politicology at the University of Amsterdam. Fellow-students found him ambitious, provocative and witty. In 1969, he participated in the occupation of the Maagdenhuis, the university's administrative center, as part of a student protest. He completed his studies in 1972.
Politics
After graduating, Janmaat held part-time positions as a teacher of civicsCivics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
. He also ran a one-man consultancy for small businesses.
In 1972, he joined the Catholic People's Party
Catholic People's Party
The Catholic People's Party was a Catholic Christian democratic Dutch political party. During its entire existence, the party was in government. The party is one of the precursors of the Christian Democratic Appeal.- 1945-1965 :The KVP was founded on 22 December, 1945...
(KVP). He also worked in several commissions for the Democratic Socialists '70 (DS'70) party. Despite his efforts, he was not considered suitable for a front line position because of his capriciousness and tendency to go against the grain.
In the 1970s, he became more interested in the emerging issue of immigration
Immigration policy
An immigration policy is any policy of a state that deals with the transit of persons across its borders into the country, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. Immigration policies can range from allowing no migration at all to allowing most types of migration,...
as large numbers of foreign worker
Foreign worker
A foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. The term migrant worker as discussed in the migrant worker page is used in a particular UN resolution as a synonym for "foreign worker"...
s came to the Netherlands. His increasingly radical stance lead to a break with the KVP as well as DS'70.
In 1980, he read an article in Vrij Nederland
Vrij Nederland
Vrij Nederland is a Dutch magazine which was established during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II as an underground newspaper but has since grown into a magazine. The weekly magazine is generally considered to be intellectually left-wing...
which drew his attention to the recently founded extreme-right Centre Party
Centre Party (Netherlands)
The Centre Party was a Dutch nationalist extreme right-wing 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...
(CP). After several interviews, he joined the party as its seventh member. Starting as a publicity worker, he would rapidly rise to be the party's top and was its lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker
Lijsttrekker is a Dutch term for the top candidate of a party on a party list. He or she is almost always the party's political leader. After an election, this person usually leads the party's faction in the States-General, or serves in a senior position in the Cabinet if his party is part of...
(top candidate) for the 1982 elections
Dutch general election, 1982
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 8, 1982.-National summary:...
. The party won a single seat in the House of Representatives, which went to Janmaat. Other political parties largely ignored and ostracized him.
Centre Democrats
After disagreements and a power struggle with other members of the Centrum Party, he was expelled from the CP in October 1984. However, he retained his seat in parliament, in accordance with Dutch law. Janmaat officially launched his own party, the Centre DemocratsCentre Democrats (Netherlands)
The Centre Democrats was a political party in the Netherlands. Founded in 1984 by members who split out from the Centre Party , 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...
(CD) in November 1984. Politically, the party did not differ greatly from the CP, except that it was strongly centered around Janmaat, to prevent another power struggle.
Several attempts were made to reconcile the differences between CP and CD. One such meeting in a hotel in Kedichem
Kedichem
Kedichem is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located about 7 km northeast of the city of Gorinchem, in the municipality of Leerdam.Kedichem was a separate municipality until 1986, when it merged with Leerdam...
was disrupted by left-wing activists, who set fire to the building. Janmaat narrowly escaped with his life, CD secretary (and later wife of Janmaat) Wil Schuurman lost a leg because of injuries sustained jumping out of a window to escape the fire.
In the 1986 election
Dutch general election, 1986
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 21, 1986.-National summary:...
, Janmaat lost his seat in parliament, however he regained his single seat in 1989
Dutch general election, 1989
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on September 6, 1989.-National summary:...
.
His biggest political success would be in the 1994 elections
Dutch general election, 1994
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 3, 1994.-Results:...
, when he gained three seats. Major political parties changed their response to Janmaat and his views: rather than actively ignoring him they also started openly addressing the issue of immigration. In the 1998 election
Dutch general election, 1998
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on 6 May 1998.-Result:...
the CD lost all three of its seats. Janmaat had become increasingly paranoid and said that computers used for voting had been tampered with.
In 1999, Janmaat was in the process of starting another party, the Conservative Democrats, however it did not get off the ground and did not participate in the 2002 election
Dutch general election, 2002
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on May 15, 2002....
.
His failing health forced him to withdraw from politics, however the changing political climate did prompt him to challenge his conviction for discrimination at the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
. Janmaat's death in 2002 halted the case.
Political views
Janmaat wanted to represent the indigenous Dutch workers and middle class. His views were based mostly on economic and materialistic arguments rather than an underlying ideologyIdeology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
. Disappointing economic growth, unemployment and government cutbacks could not be addressed while large numbers of immigrants were flowing in to the country. Janmaat was against a multicultural society
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
: immigrants should either assimilate into Dutch culture, or return to their country of birth.
His best known slogans were "Holland is not a country of immigration," "full=full" and "we will abolish the multicultural society, as soon as we get the chance and power"; he was convicted for the latter two statements. According to Jan van de Beek, Hans Janmaat often used economic arguments in his tirades against immigrants.
He often walked a fine line between freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
and hate speech
Hate speech
Hate speech is, outside the law, any communication that disparages a person or a group on the basis of some characteristic such as race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or other characteristic....
, and would eventually receive fines and a conditional prison sentence for incitement to hatred and discrimination against foreigners.
Widely considered uncharismatic, he occasionally made rude statements about immigrants and other politicians. He argued that Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch Ballin is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Minister of Justice and Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs from November 7, 1989 until May 27, 1994 in the Cabinet Lubbers III...
should not be allowed to hold a high office because of his Jewish heritage and said he was not saddened by the sudden death of political opponent Ien Dales
Ien Dales
Catharina Isabella "Ien" Dales was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party .- References :...
.
Legacy
Other parties erected a cordon sanitaireCordon sanitaire
Cordon sanitaire — or quarantine line — is a French phrase that, literally translated, means "sanitary cordon". Though in French it originally denoted a barrier implemented to stop the spread of disease, it has often been used in English in a metaphorical sense to refer to attempts to prevent the...
around Janmaat, ignoring him while he spoke in parliament. A taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
on discussing negative aspects of immigration existed in the Dutch political climate in the 1980s.
Meindert Fennema, professor of political theory of ethnic relations at the University of Amsterdam, argued in 2006 that Janmaat was convicted for statements that are now commonplace due to changes in the political climate (caused in part by the September 11 attacks, and the assassinations of Pim Fortuyn
Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn was a Dutch politician, civil servant, sociologist, author and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List ....
and Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh
Theo van Gogh is the name of:*Theo van Gogh , brother of the painter Vincent van Gogh*Theo van Gogh , great-grandson of the above...
).