In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce a Dutch, far-right political party Forum voor Democratie (FvD for short; @fvdemocratie). They're best-known for their anti-Ukraine and pro-Kremlin politics, and for their tendency to support the craziest conspiracy theories out there.
1/19
FvD was initially founded as a think tank by Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten in 2015. Their main goal was to oppose the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine and the Dutch membership in the EU, calling for a referendum act on the issue.
2/19
Otten was kicked out of FvD after he allegedly led the party apparatus in a dictatorial way and transferred some money from party donors to his own consultancy company, without permission. Baudet has been introduced on #vatniksoup previously:
In Sep 2016, FvD was converted into a political party and announced its intention to take part in the 2017 general election, in which they won two seats in the House of Representatives. After that, the party grew fast, and in 2019 they had nearly 31 000 members.
4/19
FvD really took off in the 2019 provincial elections, when they won 86 seats. They were the largest party in three provinces, and 2nd or 3rd in many others. Most of their candidates had no prior experience in politics or in political parties.
5/19
FvD suffered from internal issues due to their rapid growth, and in 2018 many prominent members left the party because they felt it lacked democracy in its decision-making. In 2020, the party was again a target of controversy, when its youth wing made racist...
6/19
... and homophobic comments. The party leader, Baudet, was also accused of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories. Baudet temporarily stepped down as party leader, only to return for the 2021 general election. The party campaigned against COVID-19 lockdowns,...
7/19
... and managed to win 8 seats. Due to controversies such as comparing the COVID-19 lockdowns to Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, and protesting against Zelenskyy's speech to the House of Representatives, many of the party's representatives abandoned the party.
8/19
From the beginning, FvD along with its leader has called for better relations between the Netherlands & Russia. Baudet strongly opposed the sanctions against Russia after the occupation of Crimea & co-signed a letter calling for new investigation on the shoot down of MH17.
9/19
In 2020 Dutch TV program Zembla published Whatsapp group messages with interaction between Baudet and Russian Vladimir Kornilov. Based on NYT, Kornilov has ties to the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin, and in his messages Baudet described him as "a Russian who works for Putin."
10/19
In one of the messages, Baudet told Otten that he wanted to stop working as a commentator on the the TV network Powned, and suggested that "Maybe Kornilov wants to pay some extra". After the messages were published, Thierry switched immediately to damage control mode...
11/19
...declaring that the conversations about Kornilov were a "running gag" and "playful exaggeration". The messages also revealed that he wanted Netherlands to leave NATO, despite the party's election program declaring that Dutch collaboration with NATO should be increased.
12/19
In addition, Baudet has promoted conspiracy theories about "evil reptilians" and the "globalists" ruling over the world, the EU being a "a cultural Marxist project destroying European civilization," and that George Soros introduced the COVID-19 virus.
13/19
Thierry is a big fan of Putin, and he's called him the "hero that we need". He's also claimed that "he must win the war" in Ukraine and "we must do everything we can to support him". His former buddy Otten called him a "Manchurian candidate" over his support for Putin.
14/19
FvD has received a lot of help from anti-EU political strategist John Laughland, who has allegedly designed the political blueprint for the party. Laughland is part of an international conservative network with direct ties to the Kremlin:
In Jul 2023, Baudet and Laughland organized a Twitter Space called "The Decline of Western Civilization", to which they invited Russia's fascist #1 Alexander Dugin:
FvD, like so many other pro-Kremlin parties around Europe, has been described as ideologically national conservative, eurosceptic & right-wing populist. With the likes of Le Pen & Wilders, the rise in their popularity was already evident in the 2014 EU Parliament election.
17/19
Today, FvD is an unremarkable party and its leader Baudet is mostly being ridiculed, but a similar blueprint, with emphasis on anti-immigration, anti-EU/anti-NATO policies and populism, will be used to gain popularity in the future, too.
18/19
Similar policies brought success to Geert Wilders' PVV in the 2023 Dutch general election, when it became the largest party in the Parliament. Some political commentators have said that Wilders gained votes from former fans of newer parties like FvD:
19/19
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.
1/17
For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
2/17
One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Joe Rogan (@joerogan). He’s best-known for launching the biggest podcast in the world, promoting various conspiracy theories, his support for Donald Trump and his anti-Ukraine rhetoric.
1/22
Joe Rogan started as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, found fame on NewsRadio, and became a household name with Fear Factor. But his biggest impact came in 2009 when he launched The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), one of the first major podcasts.
2/22
JRE started as casual but deep conversations, often covering countercultural topics like psychedelics, MMA & hunting. Joe’s podcasting style is largely non-confrontational, often allowing his guests to share their views without significant pushback or critical questioning.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce KOOS party leader and Estonian crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov. He’s best known for running shady businesses, spreading Russian false narratives in Estonia, and participating in the pro-Kremlin political party KOOS.
1/18
As a talented youngster, Oleg learned Estonian almost flawlessly, was a promising karate athlete, and landed a job at a law firm at just 20. He caught the eye of Estonian fuel entrepreneur Endel Siff, who quickly took him under his wing.
2/18
Oleg’s father, Vladimir Ivanov, was a longtime politician from the Russian-funded United People’s Party of Estonia. His career at the town hall ended abruptly when he was caught drunk at work. After that, he went into business with his son, Oleg.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about the takeover of social media by illiberal, populist influencers. For the last ten years, social media has been dominated by these voices and it is one of the main reasons for the political rise of people like Trump and Orban.
1/25
“Illiberal populists” like Trump reject democratic norms while claiming to speak for “the people.” They centralize power, attack institutions, and push nationalism over rights. Elections exist, but checks & balances erode. This is democracy in name, autocracy in action.
2/25
The media landscape has changed drastically over the past two decades. The Internet and social media have changed how we interact online & how we consume media,but it has also become our main source of news. In many ways,social media companies have control over information.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
1/17
Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
2/17
Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.