The new Provincial Council debated the scout’s advice to forge a college of BoerBurgerBeweging, VVD, CDA and PvdA. And what should have been today’s first test for a possible new coalition quickly turned into a compromise.
For example, there was no motion from BBB, while that was the initial aim. The purpose of the motion was to temporarily put plans for the nitrogen problem and new nature on hold. With the motion BBB wanted to achieve that the Provincial Council would first discuss the nitrogen and nature plans that must be sent to The Hague before 1 July.
But the motion was taken off the table again by BBB during the debate.
The advice of scout Astrid Nienhuis was as crystal clear, simple as it was predictable: create a coalition of BBB with the other ‘major’ parties: PvdA, VVD and CDA. Nienhuis heard BBB’s wish: a broad coalition, experience in the team of deputies and, above all, wanting to do it together. And although BBB is entitled to three deputies in view of the election results, the advice is two BBB deputies. For stability.
In any case, CDA and VDD seem to fully embrace the BBB. The PvdA “feels cautiously dating, but says it does not yet know with whom and whether it will result in a lasting relationship,” said PvdA party leader Yvonne Turenhout. “We still have the necessary bridges to build in the formation. For PvdA, the restoration of nature is also important.”
In the debate on the advice of scout Nienhuis, it immediately results in sawing the chair legs of the PvdA. The left is concerned about whether the policy of the new coalition will be social and green enough, because the PvdA will then be in a centre-right council. There is doubt on the right wing whether PvdA will dare to say “no” loud enough to the nitrogen policy in The Hague, is how PVV party leader Nico Uppelschoten expresses his feeling.
The smaller parties that will form the opposition on the left and right have their doubts about whether this will lead to the desired administrative innovation with the ‘old parties’ PvdA, CDA and VVD. And whether they will make sufficient different choices than their administrators in The Hague in the field of agriculture, nitrogen and nature.
Those concerns live on both the left and the right. D66, GroenLinks and Party for the Animals are concerned that now nothing will come of nature restoration. And they are also afraid that it will be ‘another four years of stuffing and stuffing’.
PVV and Forum for Democracy are afraid that the government’s nitrogen plans are not going fast enough and they fear a delaying or softening role if the PvdA enters the council.
D66 thinks that with 28 of the 43 seats there will be little room for the opposition. “Then the opposition will be made as small as possible. Will we then get the desired new management style?”, D66 party leader Anry Kleine Deters wonders.
Explorer Astrid Nienhuis says that the Provincial Council itself will be there if an agreement is reached in outline and then the States can also enforce a requirement for the new administrative style. For example, through the coalition agreement or in a parliamentary meeting.
The subject of migration will still be a difficult formation bump between BBB and PvdA. BBB party chairman Schuinder believes that Drenthe has done enough in its contribution to asylum reception and accommodation for status holders and wants to stop for the time being.
The BBB was questioned extensively, especially by Sam Pormes of GroenLinks. But as far as Schuinder is concerned, migration need not be included in an outline agreement. Schuinder thus takes the first sting out of the formation negotiations, because BBB and PvdA differ in opinion on this subject.
There will be one or two trainers. A large number of parties in the States want the formateur or formateurs to be Drenthes or ‘have feelers in Drenthe’, as VVD party chairman Willemien Meeuwissen puts it. As a slip-of-the-tongue, BBB drops that Astrid Nienhuis (mayor of Heemstede, ed.) could be a formateur as far as they are concerned. Talks will continue between the possible coalition partners on Friday.
Schuinder does not yet want to give names of ‘their’ two candidate deputies. “If things turn out differently, there will be damage to people who may still be working elsewhere. We will not participate in that.”
Watch the video below in which political reporter Serge Vinkenvleugel explains what was discussed during the debate: