Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has strongly condemned the attack on far-right candidate Thierry Baudet and has called it “totally unacceptable.” He has also demanded that the population stay “away” from politicians. Baudet himself has denounced the attack as a “political attack” based on his ideology and has emphasized the importance of not “bending” in the face of violence.
The attack on Baudet occurred in a cafeteria in Groningen where he was holding a campaign event. He was hit on the head with a glass bottle on at least two occasions and was left with a small gap over his left eyebrow. Baudet has speculated that the attack could have come from the far-left group Antifa, and has emphasized the need to demonstrate that the Forum for Democracy and its sympathizers do not back down in the face of violence.
The incident has drawn condemnation from politicians across the country. Baudet previously suffered an episode of aggression in October when a man hit him with an umbrella in Belgium, prompting him to reinforce his security team. He has indicated that they are analyzing what went wrong in Groningen and will be holding a meeting with his security team.
The Netherlands is holding early general elections, and Baudet is a candidate in those elections. The attack on him has sparked strong reactions from both political figures and the public, and has highlighted the need for security measures for politicians.