“No information is being withheld here at all!” Mayor Ineke van Gent is visibly irritated. Just a few hours ago, party chairman Atze Postma of Ons Belang asked why the city council of Schiermonnikoog only received a promised letter about the intended relocation of the local construction company to the edge of the village a few hours ago. And where are attachments 1 to 6? ‘We think the college is going beyond its limits.’
The agenda seemed clear, the mayor said when opening the meeting. “But you never know how long that will take here.”
After the elections in mid-March, political relations in the smallest municipality in the Netherlands are tense. The island has three parties, all three local. And, group chairman Wyb Jan Groendijk (Schiermonnikoogs Belang) sums it up: ‘We all want the best for Schiermonnikoog.’
It’s about the dolls
But Samen voor Schiermonnikoog (three seats) and Schiermonnikoogs Belang (two seats) do not agree with the election winner Ons Belang (four seats, 45 percent of the vote). They would rather continue their current coalition. ‘And that stings’, says opposition leader Postma.
There are hardly any substantive differences, concluded informer Albert Rodenboog. All three parties are concerned about the island housing market, want to improve the quality of life and consider sustainability important, according to the former mayor of Loppersum.
‘In view of our election programs, we could almost start one party: Samen voor Ons Schiermonnikoogs Belang’, says Samen party leader Bart Pastoor with a wink. But then the disclaimer follows: ‘It’s also about the dolls.’
And between those ‘dolls’ things are not always pleasant on the friendly island. ‘Ultimately, it’s about trust, and that trust wasn’t there,’ concludes Rodenboog.
Charming simplicity
The informateur’s report reads like a political whodunit† The mutual relations on the island (942 inhabitants) are disrupted ‘by anonymous notes in the letterbox’, ‘tendentious reporting on social media’ and ‘personal allegations as a liar’. ‘It destroys the island’, noted the registrar on behalf of Samen voor Schiermonnikoog.
Much is still of charming simplicity on Schiermonnikoog, where cars are not welcome. Once upon a time, island politics was so clear. In 1946, islanders could choose from two parties: ‘Left’ and ‘Right’. But the foundation of Ons Belang in 1989 led to a – lost – lawsuit. Schiermonnikoogs Belang thought the name of the new party was too similar to theirs. ‘Our Interest’, wasn’t that Schiermonnikoog’s interest?
Behind the name dispute is a political culture that is difficult to fathom for visitors to the shore. ‘Politics is always close by,’ says Bart Pastoor. You can look up the group leaders of all political parties within a radius of 200 meters. Atze Postma (Ons Belang) runs family restaurant Het Wantij. Across the Langestreek, Bart Pastoor (Together for Schiermonnikoog) runs hotel-brasserie Brakzand. And Wyb Jan Groendijk is indeed a park manager at the Vitamaris apartment complex, but receives guests in the taproom of Hotel van der Werff.
In a community of ours, island politics is always personal, and the personal political. Schiermonnikoog does not stand alone in this. The formation on Vlieland stranded this week after accusations about intoxicated situations during a council meeting about the purchase of a property.
Stick to hit with
The last municipal elections were marked by a low turnout. Just under half of the eligible voters went to the polls. On Schiermonnikoog, however, the turnout this year was 80.2 percent – the highest in the country.
But this unprecedented involvement also has a downside. Under the pseudonym of former island owner John Eric Banck, someone publishes vicious political analyzes on Facebook, in which the two college parties get beat up and Ons Belang is praised. The coalition is mainly blamed for the plans for a bypass through the Banckspolder, which have fallen after a plebiscite.
Ons Belang feels wrongly held responsible for the Facebook campaign, because a former councilor of the party is at the forefront of the battle – the criticized road would pass behind his camping farm. ‘I have no idea who is behind that Facebook page’, says party leader Atze Postma. “It’s just a stick to beat us with.”
Against this background, it is difficult for outsiders to understand that alderman Johan Hagen (Together for Schiermonnikoog) can comfortably drink a bottle of beer with the same Postma after the council meeting. ‘Surrounded by the water, you know that you have to get it together’, explains Wyb Jan Groendijk.
The fact that Ons Belang has distanced itself from the notes and messages on Facebook does not change anything for Bart Pastoor. ‘It’s about trust. They now have four years to fix that.’ According to Groendijk, it is not all that complicated. “If you’ve been dating a nice girl for four years, you don’t just swap her, do you?”
Legitimate majority
For some islanders, this justification is not enough. Arend Maris and Thom Verheul distributed door-to-door calls for a citizen’s consultation about the formation of a college. ‘The election results are not respected. This is the old governance culture.’
Reproach that annoys Bart Pastoor in turn. ‘Sometimes it seems as if this island has 942 councilors,’ says the party leader of Samen voor Schiermonnikoog. ‘That’s how democracy works: with 55 percent of the votes, we have a legitimate majority.’
According to informateur Rodenboog, external guidance is required to calm the mood on Schiermonnikoog. ‘If this is not addressed, it will continue to disrupt mutual relationships within and outside the council.’
In the meantime, Ons Belang is preparing for four years of ‘constructive-critical opposition’. ‘Then we will see afterwards how the voter feels that we are excluded,’ says party chairman Postma. ‘Coentje (council member Coen Bouman, red.) van Schiermonnikoogs Belang worked for me for a few more years. I think it would be great to have a debate with him about a windmill on Schier.’