The cabinet is making billions available to make the rising energy costs bearable for individuals, the support plans for entrepreneurs will not be ready until next month. “Disappointing and much too late”, says Gerard Tesselaar of restaurant Smul from Schagen. Yesterday he went to The Hague with a group of North Hollanders to draw attention to his situation from the politicians.
Gerard looks back on yesterday with satisfaction, it was a nice day and nice to be able to spend a day as an entrepreneur and also special to come to The Hague. He is less enthusiastic about the number of politicians he could speak to. The MPs who did come, such as Lilian Marijnissen, Pieter Omtzigt and Wybren van Haga, took plenty of time, Gerard says.
government support
Gerard is happy with the billions that the cabinet is making available to help private individuals pay their energy bills. But he finds it incomprehensible that not a word was said about support plans for entrepreneurs. “We have a right-wing cabinet, but they have completely ignored us,” says Tesselaar.
He has little faith in the promise made by Minister Adriaansens of Economic Affairs that civil servants are working hard to write such a plan. “Seeing is believing,” said the down-to-earth entrepreneur from Schagen.
Gerard has the same reserve when it comes to the promise of all politicians to come and eat a sandwich with him in Schagen. “They are welcome and we have delicious coffee and fresh sandwiches. If they are real people, they will come,” says Tesselaar.