Thierry Baudet, the leader of the Forum voor Democratie, was attacked in a bar. Videos of the beatings have gone viral.
On Monday, November 20, the party's page on the social network X (formerly Twitter) informed that the politician was attacked in a bar in the city of Groningen, where he was holding an electoral meeting. "He was hit in the back of the head by a beer bottle, and he was also hit near the eye on the edge of the temple, and the security guard was also injured in the face," the report said. Balde was taken to the hospital, and the next meeting, scheduled for Zwolle, was canceled. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the attack completely unacceptable. According to media reports, police detained the teenager who assaulted Balde.
Balder himself said the attack on him was a "political attack". "This is not only an attack on me personally, but also on the views I represent."
This is the second attack on Balder this fall. At the end of October, Balde was attacked at Gentus University. A 33-year-old Ukrainian hit him in the head with a folded orange umbrella, and Balder was beaten to a slight concussion.
In October last year, Balde said in an interview with Geopolitics and Empire that he was a fan of Putin. He believes that there is a "global conspiracy" and that Putin is precisely the "hero we need". He supports Russia's war against Ukraine, "and we must do everything to support him," he said. In addition, Balde is also firmly opposed to the European Union's acceptance of Ukraine into the EU.
Asked by reporters if he would change his political stance because of the two attacks, he said he would never.