New Republican Society

The New Republican Society (Nieuw Republikeins Genootschap-NRG) is a Dutch republican society, founded in January 1998 in Amsterdam by Ewout Irrgang and Elisabeth van der Steenhoven, as opposed to the Republican Society (Republikeins Genootschap) that only allows members by co-option.[1]

Aims

The NRG opposes the Dutch monarchy because of its successive nature and seeks to form a republic through democratic means. The immediate cause of the establishment of the NRG were the celebrations which marked the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Beatrix and the closing of the Dam in Amsterdam for these festivities. On 20 January 1998, the NRG released a Republican manifesto, and on 29 January of the same year former NRG spokesman Erik van den Muijzenberg, under the eyes of the international press, proclaimed the Third Republic of the Netherlands on the Dam Square.

NRG seeks to bridge the discrepancy between the Dutch form of government and its democratic order by creating a republican form of government. The NRG achieves this by the numerous developments and incidents, as result of the inevitable friction, critically examining them and stimulating the discussion of this matter. Nationally but also regionally, the NRG is active in this field.

From a small movement with a few members, the organization in eight years time grew into a union with more than 1,300 members and seven regional offices as of 2006.[2][3]

The society was manifested among others at the wedding of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima Zorreguieta on 2 February 2002.[4]

Following the enlargement of the European Union, thirteen Republican organizations from all the monarchies of the EU on 1 May 2004, sent a petition to the European Parliament. The thirteen organizations asked the abolishment of constitutional monarchy throughout the European Union.[5] The petition is an initiative of the Belgian Republican Society (Republikeinse Kring-CRK). In the Netherlands, the petition was signed by the NRG.

The NRG is a member of the Alliance of European Republican Movements or AERM.

References

  1. ↑ Decraene, Marcel (8 October 2009). "Kritiek op koningshuis goed voor Republikeinse gedachte?" (in Dutch). Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Nieuw Republikeins Genootschap telt veel nieuwe leden" (in Dutch). nos.nl. 28 January 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "Republikeins Genootschap ziet aanhang groeien" (in Dutch). Volkskrant. 5 March 2004. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Nieuw Republikeins Genootschap telt veel nieuwe leden" (in Dutch). nos.nl. 28 January 2002. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  5. ↑ "Verzoekschrift van het Europees platform voor de Republiek" (in Dutch, German, French). Republikeinse Kring. Retrieved 27 April 2011.

External links