During the RTL Election Debate in the Amsterdam Beurs van Berlage, the absence of PVV leader Geert Wilders was briefly discussed. Although security services had indicated that he could participate – possibly via video connection or in the highly secured House of Representatives – Wilders decided against this.
He has temporarily halted his campaign because of ‘a bad feeling’ about his safety, after arrests in Belgium surrounding an alleged drone attack on right-wing politicians, in which his name was also said to have been mentioned. The four party leaders present – Timmermans (GL/PvdA), Yesilgöz (VVD), Bontenbal (CDA) and Jetten (D66), who replaced Wilders – wished him strength, but also expressed their disappointment about his absence.
Purchasing power and burden sharing
During the debate, politicians quickly clashed over purchasing power and the distribution of burdens. VVD leader Yesilgöz accused D66 leader Rob Jetten of wanting to implement a ‘credit card economy’. “You are having a party now, but tomorrow you will make people pay.” GL/PvdA leader Timmermans was criticized by several parties for the lack of financial coverage for defense expenditure until 2035. VVD, D66 and CDA have made proposals for this, but GL/PvdA has not yet.
CDA leader Bontenbal – who looked nervous at the start of the debate – emphasized that investing in defense requires a sacrifice from society. “Freedom is not free,” he said. According to him, additional financial space must be created by making significant cuts in government expenditure and by increasing taxes and VAT.
The discussion about mortgage interest deduction further revealed the differences between the parties. Bontenbal acknowledged that his party’s plans affect families. “These times call for courageous choices. I tell my voters the whole story,” he said, responding to criticism from Yesilgöz. “Why does the middle class have to pay the bill?” she wondered. But according to Bontenbal, the VVD no longer senses ‘the current spirit of the times’. “People also vote with their hearts, not just with their wallets.”
Yesilgöz argued that people actually need “peace in their wallets.” Timmermans responded: “No, people want more money in their wallets.” To which Yesilgöz shot back sharply: “Then you shouldn’t take it away from them!”
Timmermans: CDA is ‘populism-light’
In the field of asylum migration, it once again became clear that GL/PvdA is not in favor of strict national measures. CDA member Bontenbal once again tried to tempt Timmermans into stricter policy: “This theme should not be left to the flanks.” But Timmermans stuck to international agreements and called the CDA line ‘populism-light’. Yesilgöz qualified Timmermans’ position as “excuses not to deliver” and reiterated that she is committed to a center-right cabinet.
The housing crisis led to more unity. All four parties want to build more. D66 wants to realize ten new cities, including in the Markermeer. “Nonsense,” said Timmermans. After all, that lake is necessary for water storage in times of climate change. Bontenbal prefers to build on the edges of villages: “An additional street, additional neighborhoods. That is the most effective way to quickly make progress.”
Although the differences between left and right were clearly depicted, it turned out that parties sometimes still find each other. “We should not set breaking points, we need a stable cabinet quickly,” Bontenbal argued. The four party leaders were clear on one question from the RTL presentation duo: should a cabinet be ready before Christmas? “Yes!” was the answer. Although the question is whether that will be Christmas 2025 or 2026…