After a long summer recess, the city council met for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. It was not a quiet summer for everyone in Amsterdam politics. For example, Daniëlle de Jager of D66 decided to say goodbye to the council after six months, there is an internal crisis at Bij1 and there was criticism of alderman Shula Rijxman because of her debate in the committee. Then there are the political challenges of looming energy poverty and an impending budget.
There is also a new face in the council: Dinah Bons was installed as councilor today. She is the replacement for the sick Bij1 list leader Jazie Veldhuyzen. The installation is the next chapter in a crisis within the Amsterdam department of Bij1. The board of the party sees Carla Kabamba as the ideal successor, while the party leadership pushed Bons forward, before she was even a council member.
In a response, Bons says that no party chairman has yet been elected, but: “I believe that we will work it out.”
Rijxman
Then there is Alderman Rijxman. After a difficult first committee meeting after the recess, where she was poorly prepared for content and was also still insufficiently familiar with the rules of debate. The alderman now had to answer questions from the council. She eventually plodded through it, with some self-mockery.
The Amsterdam politicians are immediately faced with a few important themes, for example, with the looming energy poverty, choices will soon have to be made. The Amsterdam budget for next year will be presented next week.