De Telegraaf and HP/De Tijd-journalist Peter Siebelt have claimed that Duyvendak was involved with the violent Revolutionary Anti-Racist Action group.

He has initiated some plans for governmental reform, including the temporary law on the referendum, together with Niesco Dubbelboer of the social-democrat PvdA, which was rejected in 2005.

He also mentioned how, in 1985, he admitted having stolen documents on nuclear power plants during a burglary on the Dutch ministry of economic affairs.

The fall-out was severe, prompting calls for his resignation, especially after media reported that the burglary had led to threats of violence against civil servants.

[2][3] On 13 August 2008 NRC Handelsblad published an open letter by George Verberg, previous director-general of the ministry of economic affairs and responsible for the area of nuclear power.

He accused Duyvendak of inciting people to terrorize his family in the eighties and claimed to have received burning rags through the letterbox and threatening phone calls in the middle of the night.

Another book by Duyvendak was released that same year called Recept voor maatschappelijke verandering (Recipe for societal change) about how to achieve goals through activism.