Frisian National Party

The Frisian National Party (Template:Langx, FNP; Template:Langx) is a regionalist political party in the Netherlands. Founded in 1961, it is primarily involved in regional and local politics in the province of Friesland. The party advocates for the strengthening of the West Frisian language and culture, and seeks to increase self-government for the country's Frisian minority. The FNP is a full member of the European Free Alliance (EFA), and is represented in the Senate by Independent Politics Netherlands (OPNL).

History

The party was founded on 16 December 1961 by Template:Ill and his nephew Folkert Binnema.<ref name="HistoryFNP">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The foundation of the party had been inspired by Indonesian president Sukarno, who criticised the Netherlands for supporting self-determination for the Papuan people, while denying the same right to the Frisians.<ref name="HistoryFNP"/> This made Kramer and Binnema realise that a Frisian party was needed to represent the interests of Friesland.<ref name="HistoryFNP"/>

The FNP won its first seat in the provincial legislature and municipal councils in 1966. In 1981, it became a founding member of the European Free Alliance. Since 1995, the party has participated in elections to the Senate as part of the Independent Senate Group (OSF). Three FNP members have led the OSF: Hendrik ten Hoeve (2003–2011), Template:Ill (2019–2021), and Auke van der Goot (2023–present).

Former logo of the FNP

The party has been a part of the Frisian provincial executive since 2011. As of 2025, it has 49 members in 11 of the 18 Frisian municipal councils. It co-operates in the municipal executives of Tytsjerksteradiel, Waadhoeke, and Noardeast-Fryslân. In Wûnseradiel and Achtkarspelen, the party supplied the mayor. Since 2020, the FNP supplies the mayor of Noardeast-Fryslân.Template:Citation needed

In July 2025, the party announced its intention to participate in the 2025 general election, with Aant Jelle Soepboer as its lead candidate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ideology

The FNP is a regionalist party which advocates a federal political system with more autonomy for Friesland. It also calls for protection and recognition of the Frisian language, conservation of the Frisian landscape, and Frisian control over its gas reserves.<ref name="programme">FNP program 2011-2015 for the Provincial Elections, fnp.nl.</ref>

In a survey conducted in 2009, FNP members were asked to place themselves on a 7-point left–right spectrum. Of 554 respondents, 60.65% identified as either centrist, centre-left or centre-right (scores 3 to 5).<ref name="UStrath"/> A relative majority (156 respondents, 28.16%) placed themselves just left of the centre (score 3).<ref name="UStrath"/>

Election results

The party's electorate is limited to Friesland, where it dominates in the western and north-eastern part of the mainland of the province. In rural Littenseradiel, the FNP got nearly 28% of the votes and became the largest party in 2003. In 2010, 33.9% of the people voted FNP in rural Skarsterlân.

Provincial Council of Friesland

Election	Lead candidate	Votes	Share	Seats won	+/–	Government
1966	Template:Ill	6,647	2.40%	Template:Composition bar compact	New	Template:No2
1970		11,014	4.54%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Increase 1	Template:No2
1974		21,738	7.44%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Increase 2	Template:No2
1978		15,878	4.76%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Decrease 2	Template:No2
1982	Geeske Krol-Benedictus<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	17,333	5.40%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Increase 1	Template:No2
1987		15,115	4.49%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Decrease 1	Template:No2
1991		17,321	6.09%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Increase 1	Template:No2
1995	Jan van der Baan<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	17,046	6.37%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Steady 0	Template:No2
1999	Template:Data missing	21,333	8.39%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Increase 1	Template:No2
2003	Template:Ill	36,871	13.22%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Increase 3	Template:No2
2007		28,225	10.68%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Decrease 2	Template:No2
2011	Annigje Toering	25,116	8.45%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Decrease 1	Template:Yes2
2015	Johannes Kramer	25,027	9.46%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Steady 0	Template:Yes2
2019		23,662	7.93%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Steady 0	Template:Yes2
2023	Sijbe Knol	27,251	8.04%	Template:Composition bar compact	Template:Steady 0	Template:Yes2

House of Representatives

Election	Lead candidate	Votes	Share	Seats won	+/–	Government
2025	Aant Jelle Soepboer	9,331	0.09%	Template:Composition bar compact	New	Template:N/a

See also

• South Schleswig Voters' Association
• The Frisians

External links

• Template:Official website Template:In lang