If you walked past a middle-aged guy with wire-rimmed glasses in a German supermarket today, you’d probably think he was a teacher or maybe a software engineer. He looks ordinary. Average. But for anyone who remembers the spring of 2002 in the Netherlands, that face—the face of Volkert van der Graaf—is the definition of a national trauma.
It’s been over two decades since those five shots rang out in a Hilversum parking lot. Yet, even in 2026, the mention of his name causes an immediate, visceral reaction in Dutch politics. Why? Because the ghost of Pim Fortuyn never really left the building, and the man who pulled the trigger has become a symbol of everything people find "broken" about the justice system.
The Day Everything Changed
Let’s be real: the Netherlands likes to think of itself as a place where people argue over coffee, not with guns. Then came May 6, 2002. Pim Fortuyn, a flamboyant, openly gay, and deeply controversial politician, was walking to his car after a radio interview. Volkert van der Graaf stepped out and ended the most electric political career in modern Dutch history.
He didn't do it for money. He wasn't a "terrorist" in the way we usually use the word. He was an environmental activist—a guy who lived on organic muesli and spent his days filing lawsuits against pig farmers. He told the court he killed Fortuyn to "protect vulnerable groups" like Muslims and asylum seekers. He saw himself as a hero stopping a monster. Instead, he created a martyr.
The sentence that nobody liked
When the judge handed down an 18-year sentence in 2003, the gallery went nuclear. 18 years? For killing the man who was likely about to become Prime Minister?
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The Dutch system is built on the idea of resocialization. It’s not about "an eye for an eye"; it’s about "how do we get this person back into a job and a house without them killing anyone else?" To many, this felt like a slap in the face.
- Fact: In the Netherlands, you generally serve two-thirds of your sentence before being eligible for parole.
- The Math: For Van der Graaf, that meant he was out by 2014.
- The Reality: He spent barely 12 years behind bars.
Life After Prison: The Ghost in the Machine
Since his release, Volkert van der Graaf has been a master of staying in the headlines while trying to disappear. He didn't want to be a celebrity. He just wanted his welfare checks and his privacy.
But the Dutch media wasn't having it. In a 2015 sting operation by the program Brandpunt, an informant caught him on a hidden mic. The footage was damning. It didn't show a repentant man; it showed a guy who seemed to be gaming the system. He was caught explaining how he deliberately acted "confused" and "ignorant" during meetings with the UWV (the Dutch employment agency) to avoid having to get a job.
His logic? If he had a high income, he’d have to pay for his own legal fees. By staying on welfare, his endless litigation against the state remained free. Honestly, that’s the part that sticks in people’s craw. It’s not just the murder; it’s the perceived arrogance of the aftermath.
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The Great Vanishing Act
By 2018, Van der Graaf was done with the Netherlands. He sued the state again—this time to lift his parole conditions so he could move abroad. He won. The court ruled that since he was a "low risk" for reoffending, he didn't need to report to a probation officer every six weeks.
He reportedly set his sights on Germany. As of 2026, he lives a ghost-like existence. There are rumors of sightings, but for the most part, he has successfully become a nobody in a foreign country.
Why Volkert van der Graaf Still Matters Today
You might wonder why we're still talking about this. Well, look at the Dutch government right now. The 2025–2026 cabinet formation has been a total mess, largely because the populist movement Fortuyn started never died. It just evolved into Geert Wilders' PVV and other right-wing parties.
Every time a politician receives a death threat today, the name Volkert van der Graaf is invoked. He is the "Patient Zero" of modern political violence in the Low Countries.
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Common Misconceptions
- He’s still in jail: Nope. His sentence officially expired on April 30, 2020. He is a completely free man.
- He was a secret government agent: This is a favorite of the tinfoil-hat crowd. No evidence has ever surfaced to support the idea that he was anything other than a lone-wolf radical environmentalist.
- He’s wealthy from book deals: Actually, he’s stayed remarkably quiet. No "tell-all" memoirs. No Netflix documentaries. He seems to genuinely want to be forgotten.
What This Teaches Us About Justice
The Van der Graaf case is the ultimate stress test for a liberal democracy. Do you uphold the rule of law even for someone who tried to destroy the democratic process? The Netherlands chose "yes." They gave him a fair trial, a standard sentence, and let him out when the law said they had to.
It’s legally "correct" and morally "exhausting."
If you’re following Dutch politics or the rise of European populism, you have to understand this case. It explains the deep-seated distrust many voters feel toward "the elite" and the legal system. It wasn't just a murder; it was a fork in the road for a whole nation.
To get a better grip on how this shaped today's landscape, you should look into the original court transcripts from 2003. They reveal a man who was chillingly rational about his choices. Also, keep an eye on current Dutch parole reform debates; many of the proposed "tightening" of the rules are direct responses to the public outcry over how Van der Graaf's release was handled. Understanding the man helps you understand the anger that still fuels Dutch elections today.