Fireworks in the Haarlem city council tonight. It was expected that a decision would be taken to organize a referendum on the introduction of paid parking in eleven neighborhoods in the city. But the five coalition parties came up with an amendment shortly before the meeting, which showed that they are using their council majority to block the referendum. And with that, the opponents of the parking policy are sidelined. Several councilors walked out of the meeting angrily.
PvdA, D66, GroenLinks, Actiefeest and CDA are blocking the referendum for two reasons. The introduction of paid parking in another eleven residential areas would be a logical consequence of the mobility policy, which the city council previously agreed to.
There would also be an ‘urgent interest’ not to wait with the introduction of the parking policy: disabled people should be able to move around the city more easily. In 2017, the municipality of Zaanstad also argued an ‘urgent interest’ to block a referendum on the Culture Cluster. The judge then made short work of that. The applicants for the referendum from the supporters of the Haarlem opposition parties are now also threatening to go to court.
“They don’t dare to discuss. Shit reigns”
Much of the opposition is furious with the five coalition parties. Ruud Kuin (SP): “Paid parking was not an item at all in the run-up to the municipal elections. The coalition is drawing a line through the support survey. They apparently have little confidence. They don’t dare to discuss the matter with voters. Shit reigns.”
The five parties that form the coalition in Haarlem stood their ground. According to D66, the issue is too complicated to simply present it to the residents as a ‘yes-no question’. The ChristenUnie is also not in favor of the referendum. In 2017, the turnout was so low that a referendum – also on parking policy – was declared invalid. If that happens again, the gap between politicians and citizens will only widen, says councilor Frank Visser.
Referendum Committee
Frans de Goede from Haarlem was one of the people who applied for the referendum. The special referendum committee approved that application and the required signatures of Haarlemmers.
Chairman Marion Veerbeek of the referendum commission put the coalition parties in a bit of a corner. “The judge often says in these kinds of cases that politicians should be willing to accommodate citizens if the city council has given citizens this right. Often all kinds of escape clauses are sought to stop it. Citizens take the initiative, look at that generously! “
Listen here to the first reactions of the initiators of a referendum.Text continues after video.
First reaction after the shooting of the paid parking referendum – NH News / Geja Sikma
‘See you in court’
Moussa Aynan van JouwHaarlem bit PvdA party chairman Maarten Wiedemeijer: “This is unheard of and inappropriate. This is how you deprive Haarlemmers and council members of their vote. See you in court!”
The parties that are campaigning for the referendum are preparing to go to court. “The appointment with the lawyer has already been made and we will organize a support measurement in those eleven neighborhoods ourselves.”
One thing is abundantly clear: the last word has not yet been said about the parking policy in Haarlem. Several opposition parties demonstratively left the council chambers before the end of the meeting.
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