{{Infobox political party | name = Otten Group | native_name = Groep Otten | logo = Go-logo.png | colorcode = #FAE704 | abbreviation = GO | leader = [[Henk Otten]] | founder = Henk Otten | leader1_title = Leader in the [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] | leader1_name = Henk Otten | founded = {{Start date|2019|10|23|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Statuten GO |url=https://go2021.nl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/statuten-go.pdf |website=GO Realisme & Daadkracht |accessdate=4 November 2020 |language=nl}}</ref> | split = [[Forum for Democracy]] | headquarters = | ideology = {{unbulleted list|[[Conservative liberalism]]|[[Economic liberalism]]|[[Open government]]||[[Direct democracy]]|[[Euroscepticism]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Standpunten |url=https://go2021.nl/standpunten/ |website=GO Realisme & Daadkracht |access-date=15 December 2020 |language=nl}}</ref>}} | position = {{nowrap|[[Centre-right]] to [[right-wing]]}} | europarl = | colors = {{colorbox|FAE704|border=darkgray}} [[Yellow]] <br> {{colorbox|26386E|border=darkgray}} [[Navy blue]] | seats1_title = [[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate]] | seats1 = {{Infobox political party/seats|0|75|hex=#FAE704}} | seats2_title = [[House of Representatives (Netherlands)|House of Representatives]] | seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|150|hex=#FAE704}} | seats3_title = [[Provincial council (Netherlands)|Provincial councils]] | seats3 = {{Composition bar|0|570|hex=#FAE704}} | seats4_title = [[European Parliament]] | seats4 = {{Infobox political party/seats|0|29|hex=#FAE704}} | website = {{URL|https://go2021.nl/}} | country = the Netherlands }} The '''Otten Group''' ({{langx|nl|Groep Otten}}, '''GO''') was a [[political party]] in the [[Netherlands]]. It was formed following an internal conflict between [[Henk Otten]], former [[treasurer]] and board member of [[Forum for Democracy]] (FvD), and its leader [[Thierry Baudet]].
== History == === Internal conflicts within Forum for Democracy === After the establishment of Forum for Democracy in 2016, Otten and Baudet devoted themselves to the party's development. Shortly after its founding, the party managed to win two seats in the [[2017 Dutch general election]]. Further efforts led to a decisive victory two years later in the [[2019 Dutch provincial elections]], but the party was not able to form a [[coalition government|coalition]] in any province. The parties involved blamed Baudet. His statements about social issues had been viewed by many as [[Far-right politics|far-right]], [[Racism|racist]] and [[Misogyny|misogynistic]];{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} some of his tweets were also controversial.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
On 19 April 2019, Otten stepped forward in an interview with Dutch newspaper ''[[NRC Handelsblad]]''. In the interview, Otten criticised the party's course and Baudet's behaviour.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2019/04/19/tweede-man-van-forum-henk-otten-baudet-trekt-de-partij-te-veel-naar-rechts-a3957609 |title=Tweede man van Forum Henk Otten: 'Baudet trekt de partij te veel naar rechts' |newspaper=[[NRC Handelsblad|NRC]] |last1=Koning |first1=Petra de |last2=Witt Wijnen |first2=Philip de |date=19 April 2019 |accessdate=26 August 2019}}</ref> The party leader was "not amused" by this public criticism.
A few days later, two of the party's three board members, Baudet and [[Rob Rooken]], accused Otten of taking money from the party treasury. The money in question was immediately deposited back to the party account by Otten.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2282028-fvd-otten-deed-greep-in-de-kas-en-moet-uit-partijbestuur.html |title=FvD: Otten deed 'greep in de kas' en moet uit partijbestuur |website=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] |date=25 April 2019 |accessdate=26 August 2019}}</ref> Otten resigned as a party member at the request of the other board members. During this period, Otten opted for media silence to prevent further harm to the party. In the [[2019 Dutch Senate election|2019 Dutch senate election]], Otten was the party's lead candidate and intended [[parliamentary leader|group chairman]]. After the conflict, Otten renounced the group chairmanship. He was succeeded by [[Paul Cliteur]], with whom he entered the Senate (together with ten brand new members of the Dutch parliament).
Owing to suspicions of financial malpractices, Otten was expelled from the party on 24 July 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2294940-forum-voor-democratie-zet-senator-henk-otten-uit-de-partij.html |title=Forum voor Democratie zet senator Henk Otten uit de partij |website=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] |date=24 July 2019 |accessdate=26 August 2019}}</ref> Otten immediately visited the media to speak out against the accusations, which he dismissed as defamation, slander. He claimed it was due to disagreements about the direction of the party. Otten also promised to make a declaration weigh defamation.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=hendrikotten3 |author=[[Henk Otten]] |number=1154294963473174534 |date=25 July 2019 |title=1. DRAADJE. Hierbij een draadje met een eerste korte inhoudelijke reactie op de beschuldigingen van FVD-bestuurders Baudet en Rooken van 24 juni jl. aan mijn adres.}}</ref> In Dutch news program ''[[Nieuwsuur]],'' Otten hinted at his further political aspirations with the possibility of establishing his own party for the first time.
=== Founding of the Otten Group === On 18 August 2019, Otten officially set up the new party. He was still looking for a suitable name for the party, but it would continue as {{Lang|nl|fractie-Otten}} for the time being. Two members of the Senate, former party spokesman [[Jeroen de Vries (politician)|Jeroen de Vries]] and [[Dorien Rookmaker]], joined him because of the same dissatisfaction with the party's course. The three chose to keep their seats. There was even a possibility that the Otten Group could get a seat in the [[European Parliament]], as the seats in the parliament were redistributed after [[Brexit]]. The number of seats of FvD then increased from three to four seats. As Rookmaker was fourth on the Forum's candidates list for the [[2019 European Parliament election]], she still claimed the "Brexit seat" despite her canceled membership.<ref>{{cite web |title=Partij GO van Henk Otten krijgt zetel in Europarlement |url=https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/partij-go-van-henk-otten-krijgt-zetel-in-europarlement~ba347444/ |website=Trouw |access-date=15 December 2020 |language=nl-NL |date=6 February 2020}}</ref> Rookmaker joined the European Parliament on 1 February 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Drs. D. (Dorien) Rookmaker |url=https://www.parlement.com/id/vkwqlts02tzp/d_dorien_rookmaker |website=[[Parlement.com]] |accessdate=4 November 2020 |language=nl}}</ref>
The situation in the provincial states was equally uneasy. Some members of the provincial states canceled their membership after expressing their dissatisfaction with the direction of FvD. Some even chose to join Otten's party, including [[North Holland]] member of the states [[Robert Baljeu]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nporadio1.nl/politiek/18195-verstoten-fvd-kopstuk-robert-baljeu-succes-is-baudet-naar-z-n-bol-gestegen |title=Verstoten FvD-kopstuk Robert Baljeu: 'Succes is Baudet naar z'n bol gestegen' |website=NPO Radio 1 |date=20 August 2019 |accessdate=26 August 2019}}</ref> In an interview with the [[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]], Otten said that he was expecting more FvD members to join his party.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2298104-otten-verwacht-dat-meer-fvd-ers-zich-bij-hem-aansluiten.html |title=Otten verwacht dat meer FvD'ers zich bij hem aansluiten |website=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|NOS]] |date=19 August 2019 |accessdate=26 August 2019}}</ref>
==Policies and beliefs== On its website and initial policy platform, Group Otten declared its main beliefs to be based on a “Triple-E” philosophy which stands for "Effective, Honest and Efficient" (''Effectief, Eerlijk en Efficiënt'' in Dutch). The party called for more direct democracy, a smaller and less cumbersome but more focused government, and political transparency. It also stood for more rational politics over what it described as legislation created by "emotional debates" in the House of Representatives, and wished to prioritize the interests of Dutch citizens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://go2021.nl/standpunten/|title=Standpunten - GO}}</ref>
== Representation == === Former members of the Senate === * '''[[Henk Otten]]''', parliamentary leader (2019–2023) * [[Jeroen de Vries (politician)|Jeroen de Vries]] (2019–2023) * [[Dorien Rookmaker]] (2019–2020) * [[Robert Baljeu]] (2020–2021)
=== Former members of the European Parliament ===
* Dorien Rookmaker (2020–2021)
=== Former provincial council members ===
* {{Flag|Flevoland}}: Cornelis van den Berg * {{Flag|Groningen}}: Jeroen de Vries * {{Flag|North Holland}}: Robert Baljeu * {{Flag|South Holland}}: Caroline Persenaire
== See also == * [[Party for the Future]] * [[JA21]]
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://go2021.nl/}}
{{Defunct political parties in the Netherlands}}
[[Category:Liberal parties in the Netherlands]] [[Category:Conservative parties in the Netherlands]] [[Category:Conservative liberal parties]] [[Category:Political parties established in 2019]] [[Category:2019 establishments in the Netherlands]] [[Category:Independent politicians in the Netherlands| ]] [[Category:Eurosceptic parties in the Netherlands]] [[Category:Defunct political parties in the Netherlands]]