Candidate deputy Jelle Beemsterboer explained why the CDA switched to BBB. In his own words, he had lost his connection with the Christian Democrats and saw salvation in the challenge as deputy for the BBB. He also has a message for his old party.
His switch caused an angry reaction at CDA Noord-Holland. “It is unbelievable that he is now making this choice,” said CDA MPs Dennis Heijnen and Willemien Koning shortly after the news came out.
‘Hope it does something with the course of CDA’
Beemsterboer understands the emotion. “But I hope it will also start something for many people to think about the course of the party.” And cryptic description that he does not want to elaborate on. “I’m not talking about it anymore. There are many people at the CDA who are valuable to me, so I don’t want to say anything negative. But I hope it does something with the course of the party.”
Beemsterboer was active for the CDA for many years. As a councilor and alderman in Schagen, but also on various boards. In 2021 he tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Christian Democrats with a major campaign, without success.
“I really had to recover from that, I also distanced myself from politics. But the interest gradually returned. Only for joining the CDA I found no more. Both personally and in terms of content.”
Voted for BBB in elections
He is approached by BBB if he wants to become a candidate for the Senate. He thanks for that. But it did plant a seed. “I immersed myself in the program and agreed with it. I eventually also voted for the Provincial Council elections on the BBB.
When Beemsterboer was asked to become a deputy for the party after the elections, he had to think about it for a while. “I had then had nice conversations. Wanted to do it so that I can contribute too.”
What does he find at the BBB that he no longer finds at the CDA? “The parties are similar. For me, it’s about the will to change something. In the country, but also in the province. Do I then remain a CDA member in the hope that things will get better, or will I contribute to a new middle party? who stands for the same people as I do?”
CDA membership cancelled
He has canceled his membership in the CDA. And he doesn’t see the switch as a betrayal. “I haven’t done anything at the CDA for a long time. There are many people within the party who have also congratulated me and say: ‘nice that there is a good deputy for North Holland’.”
He must be appointed by the Provincial Council on 17 July. Beemsterboer is looking forward to his new challenge as, among other things, deputy for housing and agriculture. “There are many people without a home. And we have to meet those basic conditions as a government. We have to build much more, and for that you also have to build on the edges of cities and villages.”
He also wants to do something about the perception of nature and agriculture. “The division about this is unjustified. The only way to connect that is to solve the nitrogen problem. That is better for nature and better for agriculture.”
BBB party chairman Ingrid de Sain also responded to the criticism from the CDA of Jelle Beemsterboer’s candidacy. “I understand that the emotion is high now. We give them time to come to their senses. Soon I will drink coffee with them to talk it out and then it’s done. And we will continue with each other on the content.”