Hélène Hendriks caused unrest in the studio of her program HLF8 last night when she revealed that her editors had invited the controversial politician Gideon van Meijeren.
Gideon van Meijeren, Member of Parliament for Forum for Democracy, is under heavy fire for intimidating journalist Merel van Ek. She is currently no longer able to do her job normally because of Gideon’s agitated supporters. It was extensively discussed on television last night.
Invitation
Hélène Hendriks also spoke about it in her talk show HLF8. She stunned those in attendance when she revealed that her editors had invited Gideon to sit down at the table. “Of course we also asked if Gideon van Meijeren wanted to be here tonight, because we invite everyone to this table.”
Regular studio guest Dominee Gremdaat, Paul Haenen’s alter ego, reacts with dismay. “That would have been really bad!”
disagreement
A disagreement then ensues in the studio. Hélène: “Well, I don’t think so, because everyone has the right to speak.”
Pastor: “I don’t think you should put horrific people on the broadcast.”
Fellow guest Sam Hagens, Merel’s colleague at Hart van Nederland: “Yes, but you also have to be able to ask them critical questions. It’s no use just ignoring.”
Hélène: “Exactly, I agree.”
Reverend angry
Reverend angry: “Yes, but you should not give them space, because then they will win. If he had been here, he would have played everyone or walked away angry like Thierry Baudet. He always walks away angry, then he gets the attention again and he comes in the News, of: ‘He is angry!’”
He continues: “While people don’t know it’s already planned. Thierry Baudet plans to run away at some point. All that fuss of Forum for Democracy does that too and you shouldn’t pay any attention to that.”
Sam: “They have been practically ignored for two years. You haven’t seen them at a talk show table anywhere. They are no longer invited.”
Hélène: “So with us today, but he is abroad.”
Airline ticket
Sam: “I really wanted to interview him, because I think it’s important to keep asking critical questions, to keep doing my job. It’s different to critically interview someone in front of a camera than to give a stage and let him go blank on a talk show. He didn’t want it.”
“He said, ‘If you pay for my plane ticket, you can interview me on camera.’ Of course we don’t. He could be reached by telephone, but he also did not want to be interviewed by telephone. He only wanted to call in live in our broadcast of Hart van Nederland and we certainly don’t do that.”
Fragment
Gideon was also discussed in Today Inside. Johan Derksen finds it inappropriate that the politician has been invited by HLF8: “I think you should no longer give those people the floor.”
The fragment:
