Christian nationalism as a driver of far-right extremism in the Netherlands
Crosses at anti-asylum centre demonstrations. Crusader imagery on banners and clothing. Far-right Defend members joining neo-Templar order. Politicians who are increasingly adopting christian nationalist rhetoric.
JfP has documented how Christian nationalist symbols and ideology are gaining ground worldwide. In the United States, Hungary, and Poland, this pattern has already reshaped governments, rewritten constitutions, and rolled back civil rights. What JfP is now observing in the Netherlands are early signs of the same trend.
Key findings
The findings are based on field observations, open source monitoring and financial and organisational data of other form multiple studies.
Around the anti-asylum demonstrations in Loosdrecht, Amsterdam and Ter Apel, JfP identified crosses carried in procession, rosaries alongside nationalist symbols and symbols of white supremacy, and imagery from the Crusades that were actively disseminated. These symbols determine who belongs and who does not.
Since January 2026, members of Defend Den Bosch have been joining OSMTH Nederland, an order rooted in the traditions of the medieval order of the Knights Templar. Simultaneously, the same members have intensified the online dissemination of Christian messaging.
In the networks monitored by JfP, the terms “remigration” and explicit references to the Great Replacement Theory emerge continuously. During the potatoes in Loosdrecht, former PVV politician Gidi Markuszower states “we are being replaced”. A key figure in this network is the Austrian far-rights activist Martin Sellner, who has explicitly linked his ideology to the preservation of Christian civilisation. Lidewij de Vos of Forum for Democracy will speak at the upcoming “Remigration” summit in Porto.
The same pattern, already implemented elsewhere
The rhetoric of Project 2025, Orbán’s constitutional reforms and Tommy Robinson’s rallies is now also present on the banners at the Dutch anti-asylum centre protests. In the US, approximately half of the proposals of Project 2025 have been implemented. In Hungary, Orbán used EU funds to build international Christian-nationalist networks. In Poland, the Church-state alliance under PiS resulted in the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe.
A warning from Dutch Churches
In April 2026, the Raad van Kerken (Council of Churches), which represents approximately five million believers, issued a formal warning on behalf of nineteen church denominations. The Council described the far-right ideology infiltrating faith communities as “racist, anti-Semitic, a threat to democracy and the rule of law, and a threat to the Christian faith itself.” This warning specifically addressed the use of christian identity as a criterion for who belongs and who does not.
The Netherlands is no exception
Seemingly isolated individuals wearing crosses at asylum centre protests are linked to a broader ecosystem: funding streams which have been documented by JfP, training networks operated by American evangelical organisations, legal strategies used in European courts and support by the wealthiest people in the world. The Council has spoken on behalf of the church. Democratic institutions and national media are now facing the same challenge.
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