The Netherlands: The only country that 'ate' its prime minister

In 1672, Johan de Witt, who served as the Grand Pensionary (effectively the Prime Minister) of the Dutch Republic, met a horrifying end in The Hague. Amidst political chaos, economic hardship, and foreign invasion, de Witt was blamed by angry mobs for the country’s misfortunes.

He and his brother, Cornelis, were lynched by a mob fuelled by political rivalries and orchestrated propaganda, as detailed by LBV and multiple historical accounts.

Some reports suggest that parts of de Witt’s body were cannibalised by the mob—a brutal symbol of political violence that has since become a cautionary tale of democracy’s fragility.

Witt’s downfall is reported to have been rooted in a combination of factors, including the fact that the Netherlands was facing a devastating invasion by France (the so-called “Rampjaar” or Year of Disaster), leaving citizens panicked and enraged.

Additionally, De Witt represented the republican faction that clashed with the pro-monarchy House of Orange. His opponents exploited the chaos to stir up public anger.

The result was a brutal eruption of mob justice that culminated in an act of cannibalism—an event that shocked Europe and left an indelible stain on Dutch history.

Though today’s Netherlands is a stable democracy, the episode of de Witt’s murder—and the alleged cannibalism—remains a stark reminder of how populist anger and misinformation can destabilise even well-functioning governments.