Fierce clashes about asylum and nitrogen in party leader debate: ‘Mark Rutte is not getting anything done’ | Politics

Party leaders in the Senate clash hard over the forced asylum law and nitrogen in a special debate edition of WNL Op Zondag. In a vote on the importance of the nitrogen target for 2030, all three coalition parties voted differently. “Mrs Schippers, you cannot say in the Senate: I am not taking part in the voting.”

The parties immediately clashed hard with the first proposition ‘coercive asylum law must be dropped’, which was introduced by JA21 party leader Annabel Nanninga. “Mark Rutte is not doing anything,” she accuses the Prime Minister, who is also VVD leader. PVV party leader Marjolein Faber also strongly criticizes the influx of asylum seekers that she considers to be far too high.

VVD party leader Edith Schippers then stands up for Rutte. According to her, the PVV ‘never comes up with real solutions’. ,,I never hear from the PVV a constructive solution that works.” And according to her it is ‘calling from the sidelines’. According to her, Mark Rutte has already succeeded in reducing the influx. “Rutte already did that in 2016: it worked well for years and we had a low influx. What we have to do now is to limit the flow of asylum seekers again.”

GroenLinks Senator Paul Rosenmöller also gets involved in the asylum debate and reproaches JA21: “Mrs Nanninga, you throw sand in people’s eyes. You argue for a migration stop, which will not happen.” According to the GroenLinks, there is no majority for it and people also have ‘the right to ask for asylum’. “If you want to reduce that influx, you have to remove the cause.” He pleads for ensuring a “real capacity”.

The statement ‘to ignore the 2030 nitrogen target is to create a standstill’ is also where the parties get into each other’s hair. D66 who came up with the statement is in favour. D66 member Paul van Meenen. He said that a ‘block bus’ from the ‘far right’, consisting of BBB, Forum for Democracy, PVV and JA21, could soon block nitrogen policy in the Senate, and warned against this.

CDA party leader Theo Bovens votes against, because the ‘year is not sacred’, as CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra earlier in an interview also argued with this news site. VVD party leader Edith Schippers is the only one who refuses to show color with that statement. “I am not voting for a statement that is intended to polarize,” she responds.

The attitude of the three government parties led to commotion among the opposition present, PVV, GroenLinks and JA21. “What kind of coalition is this?” asks GroenLinks-Senator Rosenmöller. “One coalition party is in favour, one party is against and a third party does not know. “Mrs Schippers, you cannot say in the Senate: I am not taking part in the voting. No matter how difficult. You are for or you are against.” Rosenmöller to VVD, D66 and CDA: ,,You can’t figure it out.”

JA21 frontwoman Annabel Nanninga said she watched the discussion between the coalition parties ‘with popcorn and cola’.

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On Sunday, February 26, Rick Nieman presented a special edition of WNL on Sunday. In it, list leaders for the senate discussed with each other. Participants in the debate are Edith Schippers (VVD), Paul Rosenmöller (GroenLinks), Theo Bovens (CDA), Marjolein Faber (PVV), Paul van Meenen (D66) and Annabel Nanninga (JA21).

They spoke live from the Vondelpark in Amsterdam about the themes of migration, security, climate, housing, purchasing power, economy and the state of the country.

Edith Schippers (VVD) prior to Omroep WNL’s Great Party Leaders Debate. © ANP

Annabel Nanninga (JA21), Paul Rosenmöller (GroenLinks) and Marjolein Faber (PVV) at the Great Party Leaders Debate of Omroep WNL.

Annabel Nanninga (JA21), Paul Rosenmöller (GroenLinks) and Marjolein Faber (PVV) at the Great Party Leaders Debate of Omroep WNL. © ANP

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