Asser mayor Marco Out spoke with Van der Maat last week and last week entered into a conversation with MPs when handing over a petition to keep the barracks open. “If we are in the stands, the chance that they will remember that is extra high, we think”, he agrees with Klijnsma. “Even after the debate, you can still talk to MPs about how things went today and what they expect for the future.”
The positions of most parties are clear, many parties believe that Assen should not deteriorate. “I don’t really hope to hear new things, because I think the commitment of the parties is clear,” says Out. “The barracks in Assen must remain open and employment must be maintained. The State Secretary has indicated, more than at the beginning of the year, that he has understood correctly that we do not want to lose the barracks.”