With a large advertisement in the newspaper The Limburger Saturday, Governor Emile Roemer and other Limburg administrators will protest against the intimidation that is increasingly affecting them. “Shouting, insulting, intimidating, threatening? We are done with it!”
Above the text it says: “Stop. Limburg draws a line.” And further on: “A democracy cannot exist without people who make decisions. More than 900 Limburgers put their heart and soul into public administration every day. They are increasingly confronted with insults, online insults, intimidation and anonymous threats.”
The message has been signed by the governor, mayors, aldermen, municipal councils, deputies, Provincial Council and the board of the Limburg Water Board.
Nearly half of all local politicians face intimidation or aggression – a doubling in ten years, as shown last year by the biennial survey. Monitor Integrity and Security of the Ministry of the Interior. According to Roemer’s spokesperson, this is misconduct. “Sawing at the legs of democracy: young talent wonders twice about whether they should enter politics.”
Threats due to asylum seekers’ center
According to the spokesperson, the direct reason for the advertisement is the news that Venlo mayor Antoin Scholten needs to be protected after a decision about the arrival of an asylum seeker center. Scholten previously said otherwise NRC that the PVV played an inciting role in this. The spokesperson also mentions other examples: “A councilor of Venlo who no longer dares to go to his son’s football matches; a councilor who no longer dares to go to the toilet alone during the meeting; a director was previously threatened with a firearm. It is too scandalous for words that there are so many examples.”
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According to the spokesperson, Roemer also sees a role for national politics: “The Hague should certainly look in the mirror sometimes. There it is becoming increasingly normal to push each other into a corner.” About the role of politicians such as PVV leader Wilders, he says: “That doesn’t deserve any beauty prize. The Hague should set a good example.”
I find it incomprehensible that representatives of the people cannot do their work safely. Better yet: scandalous
Roemer himself could not be reached for comment, but he texted an explanation. “I find it incomprehensible that representatives of the people cannot do their work safely. Rather, it is scandalous.” He advocates a ‘Limburg Quarter’ for social media users. “Fifteen minutes in which you can think about whether your message really needs to go out into the world and is not unnecessarily hurtful or even threatening to someone else.”
About the threats, he writes: “In our society, everyone is allowed to have their opinion heard, even if they like. But please let us do so in a decent manner, with respect and understanding for each other’s views. Yelling, insulting, sowing hatred and polarizing on social media: I am completely done with it. And so many are with me.”
‘Party baggage’
Previously, Roemer had been concerned about a “batch of rubbish” that followed on Facebook after an article in The Limburger about a transgender model. Roemer responded on the platform with: “What is it that you find it necessary to deliberately get behind your keyboard and saw off someone you don’t know at all down to the ankles?” After this he became a target himself. He was called ‘Pipo’ and he had to “return to his own province”. Roemer comes from Boxmeer in Brabant, 24 kilometers from the Limburg border.
The province will continue with this one advertisement, says the spokesperson: “It was intended as a snowball that we roll down the mountain, in the hope that others will pick it up. And given the reactions, including from The Hague, that was successful.”
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