Caroline van der Plas presented her prime ministerial candidate in Op1 yesterday evening: Mona Keijzer. It resulted in a tough interview, because both ladies felt very attacked. “Sorry.”
Although Pieter Omtzigt has started his own party, there is still a good chance that Caroline van der Plas’ BBB will become a huge party. And since she herself does not want to walk in heels, she puts Mona Keijzer forward as a prime ministerial candidate. They sat side by side at the talk show table yesterday On 1.
Rough conversation
The interview of the brand-new duo Sven Kockelmann and Tijs van den Brink with the ladies went a bit rough, because the political tandem felt a bit attacked on several occasions. It started with a clash between Mona and political reporter Thomas van Groningen. He sort of questioned her integrity.
Mona refused to comment on a lack of clarity about her departure from the CDA: “No, Mr. Van Groningen, what you say is not correct. I have not made a single story against the media.”
Thomas: “How did that get into the papers? Is that made up?”
Mona somewhat haughty: “Well, and you should find out.”
Caroline intervenes
Caroline then decides to intervene. “I do want to say something about this, because Mona is being put down a bit like: yes, it is all wrong and now you suddenly go to another party. I had to make the most effort with Mona because she kept saying to me: ‘Caroline, I’ve been with this party for so long, that’s all in me.’”
Mona really does not leave the CDA overnight, Caroline emphasizes. “I actually don’t think it’s good to say ‘that you just leave a game and only for such and such reasons’. Then you smash it completely flat. There really is a lot more to it.”
‘Don’t participate anymore’
After an uncomfortable misunderstanding in which Caroline shouts that the presentation duo should shut up Mona (Mona: ‘Isn’t this unbelievable?!’), the BBB leader calls the presentation duo Sven and Tijs to order. “Just a little critical of you: you always beat things flat, you know. Either it’s this or it’s that.”
A little later, Sven asks if Caroline can solve the nitrogen problem if she joins the government: “Can you then ensure that the problem is solved and we can start building houses again?”
Then Caroline digs in her heels: “I’m not going to participate in this, I’m sorry.”
Sven indignant
Sven reacts indignantly. “Isn’t this a very normal question for a politician who is participating in the elections? I am very sorry, Mrs Van der Plas.”
Caroline: “Mr. Kockelmann, I am not going to participate in opposing groups of people in society.”
Sven: “I don’t do that at all! I ask if you can solve the problem!”
Caroline: “’If livestock farming doesn’t do this, we can’t build homes. Cows or houses.’”
Sven: “I’m not saying that at all! I ask you if you can solve the problem if you have the power and if you are able to create a situation where we can build houses in this country again. That’s a pretty normal question, isn’t it?”
Apologies
Caroline finds it suggestive. “Yes, but related to nitrogen reduction in livestock farming.”
Sven: “No, I didn’t talk about livestock farming at all.”
Then Caroline ties in: “No, okay, sorry, I misunderstood that then. (…) So excuse me for being so… I really thought it was ‘cows or houses’, because that discussion drives me crazy. It’s not one or the other.”
Tijs: “Excuse accepted.”
Fragment
An excerpt from Op1: