Yesterday at 9:24 PM • Modified yesterday at 10:27 PM
Usually it is a formality, with cheerful family members in the stands and bunches of flowers in buckets, waiting in a corner of the council chamber. But in Helmond there were protests on Tuesday evening against the appointment of seven new aldermen. The second largest party in the municipal council GroenLinks-PvdA and the SP were stirring. Reason: the persistent criticism of the appointment of seven councilors four years ago.
Thomas Tuerlings of GroenLinks-PvdA was one of those aldermen. “Four years ago, seven councilors was a major sore point. We were told whether Helmond was Amsterdam. It was a major objection in principle.”
Now, according to Tuerlings, the parties that criticized it heavily are themselves in power. And now there are also seven aldermen in the new council. “Now it suddenly fits in with the city,” says Tuerlings. “Now it is suddenly explainable.” Tuerlings thinks that the number of aldermen was not the problem four years ago, but who supplied the aldermen. “We think seven councilors are too many and so we are voting against the appointment.” However, not all councilors received six votes against, the party’s number of seats, as the count showed.
“Also considering how busy it is in the city.”
The negative votes did not reach a majority and so the appointment could go ahead. Willem Boetzkes from Helder Helmond is one of the new aldermen. His local political party won the elections. He tried to explain the choice of seven councilors again, while his party had been so critical of this in recent years. “Over the past four years we have also seen how busy the city is and what there is to do.”
The new council had to endure even more from the opposition parties GroenLinks-PvdA and SP, who are no longer on the plus side. Because the Helmond voter had a clear change of course in mind, right? The left-wing parties lost, the right-wing parties such as Helder Helmond and Forum voor Democratie won. But there is little sign of a change of course in the new coalition agreement, according to the opposition parties. Forum is not part of the coalition.
“Relief that many things remain the same.”
This way the car can return to the city. “But then we read that they have to park in underground garages,” says the SP. “We wanted more space for pedestrians by parking cars in…underground parking garages.” 50Plus continues: “The parties now in power have rejected many proposals and now there is an agreement that continues on the same course.”
The arrival of the asylum seekers’ center for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers will also continue as usual for the time being. These plans caused a lot of protest. Wilders and Baudet traveled to Helmond last year to attend a demonstration. During the first council meeting about the asylum seekers’ center, the town hall had to be secured. Shortly afterwards, council members received death threats.
Willem Boetzkes from Helder Helmond sees the opposition’s criticism as a ‘relief’ that many things remain the same. “But I do see differences.” For example, the new coalition wants to postpone the ambition of the municipality of Helmond to become climate neutral by a number of years.