“It is pleasant,” says Mayor Daan Prevoo of Valkenburg aan de Geul on Friday about the demonstrative opening of shops and catering establishments in the Limburg tourist town between 10:00 and 16:00. ‘I especially see relief among the entrepreneurs. They are happy that they can show their displeasure in this way.’
Many businesses have posters: ‘Valkenburg aan de Geul aon de Geng.’ With this they indicate: we want to get started, says Prevoo. The mayor does not act against the action, which he considers a demonstration. ‘And the customers are sympathizers who show their solidarity with the demonstration.’
Prevoo emphasizes that Valkenburg entrepreneurs have been hit ‘doubly hard’: not only by the lockdowns during the corona crisis, but also by the flood disaster in July last year.
This certainly applies to restaurant El Fuego in the city center, which was destroyed by the water and had to be rebuilt. Co-owner Sophie Frederiks is happy that she can get back to work and hardly has time to answer questions. “It’s very busy, we’re completely full,” she says during lunchtime. ‘It is simply not fair that the cabinet wants to close the catering industry. We can receive our guests safely.’
Also in Alblasserdam (South Holland) dozens of shops and catering establishments are open ‘out of protest’ on Friday. “We cannot continue to yo-yo with lockdowns,” says chairman of the entrepreneurs’ association Gert-Jan van Dommelen.
Mass protest
What happens on Friday in Valkenburg aan de Geul and Alblasserdam, would happen in many other places in the Netherlands today. Because from Terneuzen to Winschoten and from Drachten to Montferland, shopkeepers and catering owners everywhere had announced that they would open their businesses in protest.
However, it leaked out on Friday afternoon, a few hours before the press conference, that the cabinet has decided that non-essential shops can open completely from today, taking into account distance and other corona measures, until 5 p.m. Previously, shops would only be allowed to open their doors by appointment, which was considered by many shopkeepers as a cloak for the bleeding.
This further easing appears to be mainly prompted by growing social pressure. The shopkeepers have largely had their way with this. But that decision leads to even more dissatisfaction among catering owners: why do we still have to remain closed?
This Saturday seems to be one big demonstration day of civil disobedience by especially catering owners. The cliché ‘the rack is completely out’ is heard from many mouths. ‘Our motto is: the cake is gone’, says chairman Frank de Reu of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland Zeeland department.
Robèr Willemsen, chairman of Royal Netherlands Netherlands, estimates that a demonstrative opening of restaurants and cafes has been discussed in 150 of the more than 200 local chapters. “I don’t have precise numbers, but this is going to happen in a lot of places, especially where mayors have indicated they support or tolerate the action,” he says. ‘There is a great lack of understanding for the policy of the cabinet. Entrepreneurs also receive increasing social support. Support has reached zero.’
Many mayors have announced that they see the temporary opening of cafes and restaurants as a demonstration. If the corona rules are further observed, they will not occur.
Extra poignant
The mayors in South Limburg have even agreed that in addition to the catering industry, the cultural institutions may also open their doors once on Saturday between 10:00 and 20:00. “Among other things, the border location makes the situation in South Limburg extra poignant,” they said in a statement on Friday.
From the Security Council, the consultation of 25 mayors, the formal message came on Thursday that the applicable corona rules still remain the starting point and that everyone must adhere to the rules. ‘In the first place, we ask responsibility from people themselves,’ said chairman Hubert Bruls afterwards. ‘The government will enforce if that is not possible. First inform, then warn and, as a last resort, close. We’re not going to suddenly be running around like crazy with the coupon book.’
Ministers also struggle with questions about enforcement. Minister Hanke Bruins Slot of the Interior says on Friday that he understands mayors who actually want to turn a blind eye to entrepreneurs who violate the corona rules. ‘On the other hand, we have agreed rules in the interest of public health,’ she adds.
Earlier this week there was a commotion about statements by Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgöz, who had initially indicated that he saw little in extra enforcement when entrepreneurs want to open their doors against the rules. After criticism from the House, she hastily returned to this. “Obviously there must be enforcement,” said the VVD minister on Friday.
Wanted a broader view
Several mayors believe that the risks of social disruption due to the lockdown no longer outweigh the dangers of the omikron variant. Last Thursday, Breda mayor Paul Depla submitted a motion during a members’ meeting of the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) to ask the government to look at the corona measures from a broader perspective. “After the two years of corona policy, there is no longer-term perspective,” said the motion, which was co-signed by 29 other mayors.
Decisions should no longer be based solely on health care, but on society as a whole. There must be more balance ‘in the attention for care and attention for the various social, societal and economic effects’. The motion was passed unanimously.