Pan-Netherlands

Pan-Netherlands[1][2] (Dutch: Heel-Nederland), sometimes translated as Whole-Netherlands, is an irredentist concept which aims to unite the Low Countries (Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg) into a single state.

[8] In Belgium, both Pan-Netherlandism, as well as Greater Netherlandism are sometimes labeled as "Orangism" but this can be confusing due to the fact that in all Benelux states this term can also refer to the movement that strives for a restoration of power of the Royal House of Orange-Nassau in their region.

In 1482, the region came under the control of Spain as the Habsburg Netherlands, also referred to as the Seventeen Provinces after the centralisation of the polities through the Burgundian Circle.

[11] In 1790, the prime minister of the short-lived United Belgian States (which roughly encompassed present-day Belgium) Henri van der Noot proposed to reunite with the Dutch.

[21][22] Before the First World War and during the interwar period, Belgium in particular also had a number of less relevant Pan-Netherlandic groups such as the Verbond der Lage Landen.

[1] Examples of contemporary Pan-Netherlandic organisations are the; Algemeen-Nederlands Verbond, Baarle Werkgroep, Werkgemeenschap de Lage Landen, Zannekin, Knooppunt Delta and Die Roepstem.

Academic and member of Belgian party N-VA Matthias Storme argued for a Pan-Netherlands in 2010 in his "Plan-N", saying "Even for Wallonia, it would not be a bad idea to reflect about the possibility to join the Confederation, equally as a separate country.".

On February 25, 2013, during the Provincial Reorganization talks of the Rutte II cabinet, such a proposal was made by one Mr. Stevense to the States of South Holland.