From COMODO for Queensday 2000

dutch version

"No Royal House, State or Capital,
but a world for all of us"

- Manifesto of the "Comite Mars op de Oranjes" (COMODO) -
= see annex for the demands =

COMODO consists of leftwing and anarchist organisations and individuals that sets to achieve the complete dissolution of the Dutch monarchy as soon as possible. The Dutch Royal House, to the disappointment of many, does not have the mental capability of realising that in this new century the continued existence of the Monarchy is undesirable. This is evident by the fact that the House of Orange has taken the sad decision to organise another "Queen's Birthday". On this day - the 29th of April - the Queen will visit Katwijk and Leiden, in the hope of finding Orange-fans on her way.

On this day, COMODO will protest against the Monarchy in a fitting way. Besides this, in the build up to Queens Day, COMODO will unfold
several initiatives in which our discontent with the Royal House will be expressed. The Committee will only be abolished after the complete dissolution of the Dutch Royal House and the full implementation of the COMODO List of Demands (see annex).

The Committee does not feel the need to "revive the discussion about the Royal House". This discussion is as old as the Royal House itself, and the arguments as well. It is now time to start the actual abolishment.

COMODO's arguments against the Royal House are expressed in short as follows:

1. The Dutch Royal House is in essence a completely superfluous institution, a parasitic fossile without any social use or function. Now the nation state is
(fortunately) losing its meaning more and more. Even the symbolic function of the Royal House as "Guardian of the Fatherland", cannot be taken serious anymore.

2. The Royal House helps to maintain the reactionary idea that people ought to have respect for a natural authority, with all the elitist privileges that go with it. The respect you are expected to have for the Royal House blends smoothly into the respect you ought to have for the state. The existence of a Royal House maintains thinking in terms of power hierarchies. However, the respect Dutch citizens ought to have for the Royal House of Orange is only based on historic claims and family-ties - in other words, based on nothing.

3. The Royal House has a preservative working on dense, and in the past often proven dangerous issues like patriotism, loyalty to the flag and nationalist boasting. On balance, these phenomenons have in the past caused more misery than good. Everything that helps to maintain these matters will have to be fought or abolished.

4. Contrary to what is generally assumed, members of the Royal House do exercise influence on government policy.  Members of the Royal House regularly attempt to influence political decision making in a rightwing or reactionary way. This happens during formal and informal meetings with prominent politicians, foreign elites, academics, media people and leaders from business circles. This political interference is totally unacceptable and contrary to every idea of openness and democracy.

In this place we pay little attention to the animal suffering caused by the Royal House, and also not to many other elitist failures, the unashamed enrichment of members of the Royal House; dubious behaviour before, during and after the War, corruption and warm contacts with dictators.

For that matter, COMODO is not under the illusion that our society will suddenly become democratic if the Royal House is abolished. Real democracy will only be within reach if society is radically changed and when, apart from the abolition of the Royal House and the state, the right to property and international capitalism will be replaced by basic democratic mechanisms based on direct participation and solidarity.

This is why COMODO firmly rejects the idea promoted by some to transform the monarchy into a republic. With a president as head of state we will only jump from the frying pan into the fire.

We call on everyone to join COMODO. This with the exeption of rich bastards and nationalist assholes, who we can direct to the New Republican Society. COMODO feels related to anti-monarchist socialists and anarchists, the English Movement against the Monarchy, as well as the international first of May movement and the international action day against capitalism on May 1, 2000.
 

COMODO's list of demands

1. Immediate dissolution of the dutch Royal House and abolishment of the monarchy as a form of government.
2a. There will be further debate about the destiny of the palaces, royal territories etc.; but some of the options are museums (1)  (some of them already are), parks for wild boars, concert halls and cultural free places.
2b. At least two palaces will be transformed into animal shelters in which several members of the Royal House will be put to work, as compensation for the countless victims of obtuse hunting parties like traumatised wild boars;
2c. Members of the Royal House will be allowed to keep half of a palace; but they must stop hunting and skiing.
3a. The abolished Queens Birthday will be compensated with May 1 as a day off; May 2 will also be a day off in connection with sleeping in after the party. May 1 can be used as a day to demand even more days off.
3b. April 30, formerly known as Queens Day, will remain a day off on which the abolishment of the monarchy will be celebrated;
4. Pieter van Vollenhoven should resign from his function at "Veilig Verkeer Nederland" (Traffic Safety Holland) and in stead of this he will be forced to organise
a monthly cycle demonstration in several big cities;
5. The remaining financial possessions of the Royal House will be donated to funds to which different members of the Royal House had committed themselves, and to other good causes like anarchist movements in other countries;
6. Alexander and Maxima will immediately marry in secret in Argentinia, just to get rid of all the tiring nonsense in the media. If not, a staying permit for Maxima will
be refused.
7. The Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD, Netherlands Information Service) will be transformed into a post-monarchist research institute and will regularly publish
Postbox 51 (gov. info) leaflets about contacts of the Royal Family with ex-dictators; excessive richness and vulgar behaviour, attempts to influence politics with rightwing and reactionary ideas (this during, before and after the War), bribery and tax scandals, contacts with the GLADIO-network, Bilderberg, the murder of John F. Kennedy, shady persons and such.The RVD will also publish an anti-Juventute calender on an annual basis.
8. Performing the national anthem, the Wilhelmus, before games of the Dutch national football team, will be cancelled and replaced by music of Mexican brass
bands. (2) The "Wilhelmus" will be banned as of today;
9. The Queen and the Royal House will definitely not be replaced by a president in a Republic, and if this happens this will have to be abolished as well;
10. The last "Prinsjesdag" (Day of the Queen's speech) will have to take place as follows: the Golden Carriage will be thrown into the pond of the Amsterdam
Vondelpark, moulded into a block of glass and will remain there as a sort of work of art. (3) Members of the Royal House will cover the route of the Golden Carriage by scooter.

(1) There will be no sculptures of Beatrix exhibited here.
(2) Bill van Dijk plays no part in this.
(3) In this symbolic way the Carriage is returned to the people of Amsterdam