LIVE | Final debate before Wednesday’s elections: who will put an exclamation point behind the campaign?

At the beginning of the evening, the smaller parties – such as SGP, CU, Denk and the Animal Party – were allowed to argue with each other about themes such as ‘the role of smaller parties’ and ‘tensions in society’. But the real work only started later in the evening, when the major parties took over the debate. An important theme for voters immediately took center stage: the housing shortage.

A subject on which the major parties broadly agree: there must be more houses, and rules and procedures must be faster. But will that also work? To achieve this, the nitrogen problem must first be solved. And opinions differ considerably about how to approach this. For example, the BBB wants to increase the nitrogen standard, but the VVD has legal doubts about this. And GL/PvdA and CDA say that ‘whatever is necessary’ must be done. Even if that means that farms around nature reserves have to disappear.

‘Credit card economy’

Things started to crackle more when it came to the subject of economics. VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz lashed out at Frans Timmermans (GL/PvdA), who, according to her, wants to raise money from citizens and companies with 41 tax increases. “A credit card economy. The next day you wake up with a hangover and a bill,” she said.

Timmermans hit back: “Mrs. Yesilgöz is pushing for the same coalition as in recent years. And look where that has brought us,” he expressed his horror about a ‘center-right’ cabinet.

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‘Wilders obsession’

In the migration debate the bomb exploded between Geert Wilders (PVV) and Rob Jetten (D66). Wilders repeated his well-known position: “The migration balance must be zero. The Netherlands is collapsing under migration.” Jetten responded strongly: “The Dutch economy cannot function without outside talent. What the Netherlands is succumbing to is twenty years of talk and zero results.”

Wilders accused Jetten of a “Wilders obsession” and sneered: “Maybe you should get checked out by the doctor. This is not healthy.” Jetten shot back: “You are just bringing a cry-cry story,” said Jetten, who indicated that the asylum laws have not been piloted through both Houses.

BBB leader Caroline van der Plas was also criticized by Wilders, who accused her of not agreeing to his ten-point asylum plan – the reason for Wilders to pull the plug on the cabinet. Wilders mainly remembered the morning that that happened because Van der Plas ‘came to eat the cookies’.

‘Ten cities or ten nuclear power plants’

The climate theme also led to confrontation. Joost Eerdmans (JA21) called Jetten “the climate pushback of yesteryear” and criticized his climate policy. Jetten countered: “Mr Eerdmans opts for ten nuclear power stations, I opt for ten new cities.” But how these cities or nuclear power plants should be connected to the overcrowded power grid remained unclear.

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‘Turn the black page’

In the final part of the debate, the party leaders tried to profile themselves as the stable factor. Yesilgöz mainly wanted to know whether the CDA will turn right or left after the elections. CDA leader Henri Bontenbal then took aim at Yesilgöz: “The VVD is only concerned with games and tactics from The Hague. I am sick of that.” According to him, The Hague must “turn a black page” and it is time for “decent politics”.

Timmermans mainly seized the moment to settle accounts with Wilders: “Tomorrow we can put an end to the Wilders era. He has set up hate factories. It is time for hope instead of hate.”

Wilders responded furiously: “You have previously called me a drunk uncle. GL people have called me a racist. It is wrong that you dismiss our people like this,” he snapped at Timmermans. Timmermans responded: “The only thing you have achieved is that confidence in politics has fallen even further.”

Whether this will change in the coming years remains unclear. Whether a different course will really be taken in politics in The Hague: the voter can express himself on that on Wednesday.