Farmers' Party (Netherlands)

The BP was the first anti-establishment party elected into the Dutch House of Representatives after the Second World War.

The BP officially applied to participate in the 1959 elections, focusing on issues such as government intervention in farming and promoting political and economic freedom.

In the 1981 elections, the BP was renamed the Right-wing People's Party but failed to win a seat.

The BP drew support from farmers and small business owners, both rural and urban.

The party had gained considerable attention through the so-called Revolt of the Braves, when police forcibly evicted three farmer families for a principled refusal to pay taxes.

With its populist appeal the party had been able to get the support from farmers and non-farmers, even from urban areas.

Before the elections of 1981, the BP was renamed to Right-wing People's Party (Dutch: Rechtse Volkspartij, RVP) but they were unable to win a seat.

It saw itself as a conservative party which championed political and economic freedom in general, on basis of national and Christian values.

Although some members had been active with fascist or national socialist organizations before 1945, the party rejected racism and fascism.

Piero Ignazi has defined its ideology as "a curious mixture of authoritarianism and individualism, anti-tax protest, and anti-parliamentarism, somewhat reminiscent of French Poujadism".

The party drew most of its support from farmers and small business owners in rural areas.

With its populist appeal the party had also been able to get support from small business owners in urban areas.

1972 election poster showing Koekoek