Two years after the break between Forum for Democracy leader Thierry Baudet and co-founder Henk Otten, the conflict between the two is now being fought out before the subdistrict court. At stake are lawsuits that the former political friends have brought back and forth in a labor dispute. They are now trying to reach a settlement.
Only Otten showed up to the Amsterdam subdistrict court on Friday morning: FVD party chairman Baudet is visiting informateur Herman Tjeenk Willink in The Hague.
Lawyer Remco Verkerke argued on behalf of the Dutch Parliamentary Party Support Foundation that Otten was an employee of the faction until the summer of 2019 and should have complied with the duty of confidentiality that was part of his employment contract. He stated that Otten violated this secrecy seventeen times by making statements in the media and demanded an amount of 170,000 euros as compensation.
Otten defended himself by saying that he is primarily a co-founder of the party and in that capacity was responsible for the day-to-day management. He was also treasurer of the party board and director of the scientific institute. The employment contract as a fraction employee was no more than a construction to be able to give him a salary from the budget that was made available to the party by the House of Representatives, to support the fraction.
“There was absolutely no question of a normal employer-employee relationship. Baudet and I agreed before the elections in 2017 that if we would get the seats in Parliament, we would earn the same salary.” Because Otten had all those different roles, he said that there was no breach of the duty of confidentiality.
Judge questions both sides of the story and is pushing for a settlement
In turn, Otten pointed out that he has been affected in his name and good honor by Baudet, whom he called “unreasonable” and “someone with whom no agreements can be made”. He argued that “Baudet and his clan” are out to this day to “further damage his reputation” and “put him to death politically and commercially.”
As compensation for the damage suffered, Otten is demanding an amount of 116,000 euros, an annual salary and immediate payment of an outstanding invoice of 42,000 euros. He also wants to call up a whole list of witnesses, including Baudet, former senator Paul Cliteur and former Member of Parliament and current senator Theo Hiddema.
The judge “had serious doubts about both claims” and also told Verkerke that invoking the duty of confidentiality could be questioned, given that Otten “had so many different hats”. Verkerke had to admit that you can discuss this. The judge suggested investigating whether it is possible to reach a settlement. Both parties agreed. The judge will give them the time to do this until 11 May, otherwise a verdict will follow.
This labor dispute is not the only lawsuit between the former political friends. In the libel case brought by Otten, Baudet and others must soon appear before the Amsterdam court.
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