Solidarity, hesitation and engagement The Dutch interstate complaint against Greece beyond Max van der Stoel

In popular memory, Dutch engagement with the interstate complaint against Greece is usually remembered by the actions of one individual: Max van der Stoel, and with good reason. Throughout his career van der Stoel, a social democrat, worked tirelessly to document and protest against the human rights situation in Greece, be it as a member of the Dutch parliament, in his capacity as rapporteur of the CoE, or from 1973 onwards as minister of foreign affairs. His impact on the Greek Case in the CoE was substantial: ultimately van der Stoel produced the report which helped to force the Greek exit from the institution. The fact a public square was named after him in Athens is illustrative of the reputation he built along the way.
Yet as impressive a character as van der Stoel was, he was but one and in many ways a diverging element in the broader story of Dutch engagement with the Greek Case. In this contribution, I would like to move beyond his figure and shed light on the otherwise obscured and more subtle underlying reasons, persons and politics behind the Dutch complaint against Greece. For such a complaint was far from self-evident. In fact, it was a rather surprising move and a break with tradition in Dutch foreign policy. In doing so, I aim to foreground, on the basis of research in archives of social movements and government, several new actors and to expand upon the processes which unfolded as the complaint progressed. Ultimately, this chapter will not only allow for a better understanding of why a complaint was filed. It will also unpack how the Greek Case served more broadly as a watershed moment in Dutch human rights engagement.