Jort Kelder agrees with critics who think that Geert Wilders is a bit out of shape. He saw the PVV leader in action yesterday at the EenVandaag debate and is not impressed. “Amazed impression.”
The traditional EenVandaag debate was quite hysterical: moderator Suzanne Bosman was not entirely successful in keeping the political rivals in line. During the debate, Rob Jetten in particular was fiercely against Geert Wilders. Due to the blows of the right-wing cabinet, the PVV leader is quite on the defensive during this campaign.
‘It has an effect’
Pieter Jan Hagens, who used to present the EenVandaag debate, particularly praises Jetten. He says at Eva: “What you see here is that there is a momentum now for Jetten and no longer for Wilders. You see that he also, in the way he says it and how he formulates it, has a self-confidence that I have not yet seen in him in that way.”
He continues: “It has a certain effect in that debate, namely that he steers and I found that interesting. Last time it was Wilders who did that.”
“This used to help!”
Fellow guest Jort Kelder finds it remarkable what Jetten did with Wilders. “This used to help him (Wilders, ed.) This, right? That he was on his own. And somehow you see that he makes an affected impression.”
Jort fears for the PVV leader. “He may have held Dutch politics hostage for the last twenty years, especially in recent years. How does this fairy tale end? He has also had dips and has come back. For the first time, he has been given real responsibility and he has done nothing with it.”
Defeat
It is hoped that the PVV will suffer a major fall, according to Jort. “I think mainly because he had bad ministers and did not control the political game. I think it would be a blessing if we all move a bit to the middle and there is a certain reasonableness and that we deal with this, because it simply does not take the Netherlands any further.”
“I know that there are a lot of right-wing people watching who say: ‘But he is nice and strict on those boundaries and at least he says so’, have those people been helped now? The answer is of course no.”
On fire
Jort does not think that Jetten will win. “You say: Jetten is on fire, that is absolutely visible. It is a miraculous campaign, isn’t it, just going there from 9 seats in the House, probably more than 20, but I still stick to the statement: it’s the economy, stupid. Ultimately, people will vote for their wallets.”
And then, according to him, it is better to be on the right, in the corner of JA21 and VVD. “I don’t know how that ball will roll, but I think it will play a role. Their hardcore supporters simply drive a car, live in a Vinex location and have one and a half jobs.”