The parliamentary group of the ChristenUnie cannot imagine a scenario in which the Johan Willem Friso barracks in Assen will close. The provincial capital of Drenthe will receive a hard economic blow due to the closure of the barracks.
That is what MP Stieneke van der Graaf says on behalf of the coalition party. State Secretary Christophe van der Maat of Defense is thinking about closing the barracks in the provincial capital of Drenthe. Keeping it open and sustainable costs a lot of money.
‘Unexplainable’
However, according to the ChristenUnie, those costs outweigh the retention of employment for Assen. In the coalition agreement, the cabinet is structurally allocating 3 billion euros for Defense and closing the barracks is incompatible with that, says Van der Graaf.
“In 2011 and 2013, the barracks in Assen were also nominated to close due to cutbacks in Defense. Then it remained open after the deployment of Arie Slob (then CU party chairman, ed.). It is impossible to explain a departure from Assen, especially because the cabinet says it wants to strengthen regions.”
bloodletting
Just like the Drenthe politicians and local entrepreneurs, the ChristenUnie fears economic damage and loss of employment if the barracks leave Assen. The party calls on State Secretary Van der Maat to take more account of the effects for the region.
Van der Graaf: “A departure from the military base is a drain on employment in the region. There is talk of compensating for employment, but it is difficult to get it back. You don’t just throw new jobs out of your sleeve .”
Barracks Havelte
The ChristenUnie does not see a relocation of the soldiers from Assen to the barracks in Havelte, in order to at least keep employment within the provincial boundaries. The party is not reassured that training places and indirect employment will also be preserved.
The CU Member of Parliament does not want to answer the question whether keeping the barracks in Assen open will cost a barracks elsewhere in the country. “I am not going to solve the puzzle of the Secretary of State for him.”