CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra hoped to put the ball in the hands of the coalition on Friday, but their own party bosses are not yet done with the historic blow. On Tuesday there will be another top meeting at the CDA, Hoekstra’s position will be the subject of discussion.
Hoekstra entered the Council of Ministers on Friday with the message that the cabinet should examine ‘major dossiers’, such as nitrogen. That signal is welcomed in CDA circles. But the fact that he at the same time found his own position ‘tenable’ was a bit too fast for some party members.
The Zeeland CDA party leader Jo-Annes de Bat previously told this site that everything must be on the table: “Every elephant in the room must be appointed.” Limburg party chairman Harold Schroeder also says that there are ‘all kinds of buttons that can be turned’, including the party leadership.
There was already a first digital consultation on Friday evening, in which provincial party officials expressed their disappointment with the result. Hoekstra is said to have mainly listened after a short reflection during that consultation. At the same time, it was established at this meeting that a second consultation was necessary in order to make a deeper analysis of what was lacking at the CDA. That meeting will physically take place on Tuesday at an as yet unknown location.
When asked whether Hoekstra is still the right person to lead the CDA, various signals are heard in the party. Youth branch CDJA openly expressed doubts about Hoekstra’s suitability, while the CDA squadron in the cabinet and the Lower House faction emphasize that a leadership change does not solve anything: “If you lose a match, you should not fire the trainer.” , said Member of Parliament René Peters.
Bite and shake
CDA deputy in Limburg Madeleine van Toorenburg also does not feel in favor of a leadership change. Precisely as a ‘hard negotiator and manager’, the CDA leader can now claim more room for maneuver in the coalition for nitrogen, she thinks. “I think he can bite and shake now. Let him do it.” said Van Toorenburg in WNL On Sunday.
Party chairman Schroeder himself says he ‘has an idea of how things should be done’, but does not want to share this with this site. At the same time, he agrees that Hoekstra’s staying on is not a foregone conclusion for him. But, Schroeder also says: ,,Saying goodbye to a leader also has its consequences. You have to discuss that.”
Watch all our videos about politics here:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.