Before it is the turn of the government, Ja21 leader Eerdmans will first be tested on Thursday morning. After years of relative irrelevance, colleagues are now looking for confrontation with the man who suddenly stands on twelve seats in the last Ipsos I&O poll. And that turns out to be difficult for him.
Joost Eerdmans (Ja21) on the second day of the general political considerations. © ANP
‘All balls on Eerdmans’
Eerdmans is questioned about pensions, ankle tires for criminals and the allowance affair and sometimes does not get any further than a staggering defense. If he calls the closing of the Groningen gas tap ‘a blunder’, it will be fierce reactions. Rob Jetten (D66) mentions Ja21 mockingly ‘no21’. The message is clear: Ja21 is taken seriously as a competitor in the battle for seats. “It is apparently all the balls on Eerdmans,” he concludes.
Henri Bontenbal (CDA) during the first day of the general political considerations. © ANP
That has also happened to CDA leader Bontenbal on Wednesday evening, he will be tackled firmly if it turns out that he is considering increasing the VAT to pay the higher defense expenditure for achieving the NATO standard. The ‘Bonte tax’, SGP leader Stoffer. Bontenbal also has a hard time when he is put on fire about whether he will clarify for the elections how he will pay the entire NATO account or only fill in a part.
Still tackled
In the afternoon, part of the Chamber Prime Minister unexpectedly tackled a lot, partly, partly provoked by the prime minister who starts talking about polarization. “It is allowed to crackle, but in the end, steps have to be taken,” he says. PVV leader Geert Wilders does not agree: “The compromise causes more misery.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof in debate with Geert Wilders (PVV) © ANP
Attempts to Gaza debate
And some of the opposition also tries to turn the general political considerations into a Gaza debate. It does not lead to changes in policy. Minister Van Weel (Foreign Affairs) repeats that the Netherlands stays away from the discussion whether Israel commits genocide, in response to a UN report that that would be. In the evening, Gaza is once again on the agenda as PvdD leader Ouwehand, who has been parading through the room in a watermelon blouse for three days, appears in a Palestinian flag blouse. The Chamber, and ultimately also chairman Bosma, is inexorable: only when Ouwehand is changing, can she submit her motions.
Outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof during his answer. © ANP
Budget up
The budget, without too many plans, that the cabinet presented on Prinsjesdag, is now only slowly. For the time being, the Chamber shows self -control, a great improvement of the financial plans is not forthcoming. However, a clamping appeal is made to maintain the government to maintain the emergency fund for the expensive energy bill for the coming winter, because State Secretary Nobel will only think that support for poor families in a year. And there is a majority for the plan of the VVD together with Ja21 and BBB for a burqa ban in the entire public outdoor space.