A bomb was detonated at the party headquarters of Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, having been pushed through a letter slot. Thankfully, nobody was injured in this incident. In response to the attack, the Prime Minister expressed his determination not to be intimidated.
“A firework bomb through the letterbox of the D66 party office. A cowardly act of intimidation. For anyone who thinks they can instil fear, I have a message: in democratic Netherlands, we will never be silenced by violence. Many thanks to the police and fire department for their swift action,” PM Jetten posted on X.
Authorities reported that a 37-year-old suspect was arrested late Thursday in connection with the bombing, which occurred at the headquarters of the liberal Democrats 66 (D66) party in The Hague. However, law enforcement officials have not disclosed additional details, including any potential motive for the attack. The explosion occurred during a meeting of approximately 30 members of the party’s youth wing, who were startled but unharmed.
During his weekly news conference, Prime Minister Jetten emphasised the futility of using such actions as a means of intimidation against politicians. Leaders from various political parties joined him in denouncing the attack. Dilan Yeşilgöz, leader of the centre-right VVD, characterised the act as cowardly on social media. Jesse Klave, the opposition leader from the leftist party PRO, labelled the bombing a direct attack on democracy and the rule of law.
This incident marks the second occasion within a year that the building has been targeted. In September, a far-right demonstration turned violent, resulting in vandalism at the office just weeks before the general election. Jetten, who became the Netherlands’ youngest prime minister in February, expressed similar defiance last autumn, condemning the attackers in a social media post.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
