Hanneke Koene, until the end of last year, councilor in the municipality of Eijsden-Margraten, is looking for Honestrast via the court in Maastricht. “This is greater than a case between two parties,” her lawyer Régis Wijnands emphasizes this Thursday afternoon. “It is also about the democracy and functioning of the rule of law. If this is allowed, you can just silence a people’s representative.”
Koene reproaches Alain Krijnen, the mayor of Eijsden-Margraten, that he did not act according to the procedures after the fuss about her way of making politics. The mayor himself did not come to the crowded courtroom. Two lawyers speak on behalf of Krijnen.
I was taken by the mud and called ‘exemplary for the stupidity of the local administration’
Pine for Koene is a motion of sadness against her. During a municipal meeting on 20 February last year, it was hired by fifteen of the eighteen representatives. Koene, councilor for the progressive opposition party Ode, was blamed for “publicly accusations and/or implicit insinuations” to drivers, with which she was “possible” guilty of defamation and defamation. And that they ‘systematic expressions [doet] that can be classified under bullying in the workplace ”. The councilor would therefore be guilty of violating the Code of Conduct of the Council.
Road deaths
The reason for the motion was a Facebook message from Koene. On February 5, she expressed her wonder about a sign on a boulder at a cycle path along the provincial road between Sint Geertruid and Eijsden. It was then the realization date of the cycle path and the name of CDA alderman Jos Custers. Koene wrote that it was better for him to work hard for a roundabout in another unsafe place instead of this local T-junction, “where there were also public space during his portfolio period […] What self -glorification. ”
That criticism did not go well with the rest of the council members. Not only was Custers not responsible for that sign, but mainly because Koene would personally make the alderman responsible for traffic victims. According to her, that was never the intention. She deleted her message a day after the council had adopted the motion of sorrow. That motion was unfounded in the eyes of Koene. “No concrete example of reprehensible behavior is mentioned.”
Lawyer Wijnands believes that mayor Krijnen, responsible in a previous position for stimulating the integrity of local administration at the Ministry of the Interior, did not handle the motion according to the code of conduct. “It says that he must do research in private and speak with those involved. Now everything has immediately become public.”
According to the lawyers of the municipality of Eijsden-Margraten, the partyless Krijnen has acted in an exemplary way. “The city council has the authority to accept motions and make statements about something. It is about his own agenda. The mayor did not arrive. After that he had an investigation done, as instructed in the motion.”
Sigh, hand gestures and facial expressions when he spoke
According to Robin Janssen, lawyer of the municipality, Koene also persisted after the motion of sorrow “in her pattern” with physical reactions to alderman Custers: “Sighs, hand gestures and facial expressions when he spoke.” Moreover, during a budget treatment she did not mention him by name but “jc” and “our own Jesus Christ.”
The former councilor says this fitted in her speech. According to Custers, the alderman seemed to double the number of homes to be built in the municipality. “I compared that with the miraculous bread multiplication by Jesus from the New Testament.”
Koene, who was a committee member for three years and was a councilor for ten years in Eijsden-Margraten (26,000 inhabitants) stopped at the end of last year and now lives and works in France. She said earlier that they often have one in the council shoot felt. She still says she is suffering from the motion. “I was taken by the mud and” exemplary for the stupidity of the local administration. “
The judge will rule within six weeks.
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