In the Netherlands, Conditions Are Ripe for Protest

The European crisis has made conditions in the Netherlands ripe for protest. On Jan. 5, some 1,000 people took part in a peaceful demonstration against the closure of an aluminum smelter in the Dutch region of Groningen. Although unremarkable in itself, the demonstration could be an early symptom of a much larger issue: Discontent is growing as unemployment remains high and as the region's residents feel neglected by the central government. 

The Netherlands is a core eurozone and EU country that was hit by the European financial crisis as it spread from the southern periphery to the wealthier countries of Northern Europe. The Netherlands has a relatively strong right-wing Euroskeptical party, the Freedom Party, and as a consequence of the lingering crisis, it is fertile ground for new protest movements to emerge and for existing movements to intensify and expand.