Humberto Tan understands very well that Pieter Omtzigt was angry with Hart van Nederland, the news section of SBS 6. “I read that and I could honestly imagine your anger.”
Pieter Omtzigt is furious that Hart van Nederland rang his elderly mother’s door without consultation, and went according to her push to give an interview on camera, until she said yes. In the end, the program decided not to broadcast the images: “It now appears that she is sometimes a little less clear than how she comes across.”
Humberto understands
The conflict was discussed last night in the talk show by Humberto Tan, where Omtzigt sat at the table. “Another thing, which is of a serious note: how is your mother? I read that and I could really imagine your anger.”
Omtzigt: “Well, that’s what I just said… As a politician, the invasion of your own private life is quite significant.”
Elodie Verweij, political commentator: “It might be useful to tell you what happened.”
Humberto: “I’ll tell you.”
Neatly resolved
Omtzigt then tries to stop Humberto. “Yes, but they didn’t broadcast it after that, so they solved that very neatly and I’m very happy with that, but I didn’t like the fact that they showed up at my 82-year-old mother’s doorstep. And that they were going to interview her, when she actually said no at first.”
Frits Barend: “Gedverdemme. Who did that?”
Omtzigt: “Never mind. They didn’t air it anymore, so it’s fine.”
Humberto: “Well, this has been published everywhere. It is Heart of the Netherlands.”
‘Well one thing’
Omtzigt: “It has all been outspoken and it has been done really neatly.”
Humberto thinks it’s very bad. “The fact that it happens, that was a natural thing.”
Omtzigt: “Well, look what I’m saying: if all conflicts were resolved as neatly as this one, it would be very nice in The Hague, so SBS did that very nicely.”
Media pressure
Not all media deal with it so neatly, says Omtzigt. “When I talked about media pressure and social media pressure: I did have a time when I was sitting at home and at one point a journalist just posted in front of my house for two days and was taking pictures.”
He concludes: “I would like it if something of my private life remained…”