“This is a great result. Dreams are not deception,” laughs Stan van Eck, leader of the PvdA, on the morning after the results of the municipal elections. His party is the big winner in the municipality of Hoogeveen, where the social democrats grew from two to five seats and is therefore number three in the council.
“Last night when the results were announced, we suddenly had five seats”, Van Eck looks back. “I immediately had that image in mind when I woke up this morning.”
Reward
For the past four years, the PvdA in Hoogeveen has been on the council with two councilors. “That number was too small, the image was wrong,” said the victorious party leader. “But our councilors Lisa Schonewille and Wolter Dekker have constructively opposed in recent years and we are being rewarded for that.”
In addition, Van Eck praises the campaign that the party has conducted. “In Hoogeveen we are still dealing with financial problems and the emphasis was on money and austerity. We have just come up with the most social program in years. People come first for us, not money.”
For example, the party is concerned about the cutbacks on neighborhood and village houses. “You can save a euro on that today, but in the long run it will cost a lot more money. These are places where people sometimes actually eat together once a week. When a community center closes, these people no longer leave their house and receive she suffers from loneliness. Many diseases are linked to loneliness. So you have to look at it critically, you shouldn’t do short-term solutions.”
black edge
Despite the great victory, Van Eck does speak of a victory with a black edge. This has everything to do with the rise of Forum for Democracy in Hoogeveen. That party won two seats last night. “I was already afraid of it. It’s a black edge, just like the low turnout.”
Party
The party will meet tomorrow to look at the sequel. “Then we’ll have a party and see what we do and don’t want for the next four years. We are in any case in a position to make demands during the coalition talks. Whether I become an alderman? That is very premature.”