A bomb detonated at the party headquarters of Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten in The Hague on Thursday evening, causing no injuries. The device was pushed through a letter slot, police reported, and a 37-year-old suspect has been arrested, though no motive has been disclosed.
Jetten, who leads the centrist D66 party, condemned the attack during his weekly news conference on Friday, stating it was “pretty futile if you think you can intimidate politicians with these kinds of actions.” The explosion occurred during a meeting of about 30 members of the party's youth wing, who were shaken but unharmed.
Political leaders across the spectrum voiced solidarity. Centre-right VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz called the bombing a “cowardly act” on social media, while opposition leader Jesse Klave of the left-wing PRO party described it as “a direct attack on our democracy and the rule of law.”
This is the second attack on the same building in less than a year. In September, a right-wing demonstration turned violent, with rioters vandalising the office just weeks before the general election. Jetten, who became the Netherlands' youngest-ever prime minister in February, had previously labelled the attackers “scum” in a social media post.
