Mark Rutte may be canceled by Today Inside. The program is under fire because, just like Jeroen Pauw, they roll out the red carpet for him. “Shall we call him off?”
Mark Rutte’s attitude in the run-up to the elections is causing quite a bit of annoyance. He refuses to debate with right-wing alternatives such as BBB and JA21, which is why RTL has canceled their debate. The prime minister has ordered a duel with the ‘left cloud’ consisting of PvdA and GroenLinks and Jeroen Pauw does want to cooperate.
Ruth’s campaign
Although Jeroen enjoyed an impeccable reputation for a long time, many people find this very disappointing of him. And now it also seems that Today Inside is cooperating in the prime minister’s ultimate campaign strategy.
Rutte has indicated that he is extremely busy, but does have a place to join VI on Monday 13 March. Hey, that’s a day and a half before the election, coincidentally! It leads to annoyance among political parties on the right side of the political spectrum, but also among VI celebrities themselves.
Youp van ‘t Hek thinks it is mainly a smart tactic by Rutte, he writes in NRC: “What is he going to do there? Light-hearted laughter, a bit of goats with Gijp and being happy with the questions that he ultimately does not answer. stupid? Absolutely not. Far from stupid even.”
JA21 stunned
Joost Eerdmans, the leader of JA21, tells HLF8 that he is surprised. “Because: ‘VI does not invite politicians’. At least, that was made clear to us, also at JA21. That can be respected, fine, but then I think this is a bit of a shame that Rutte does squeeze in.”
Host Johnny de Mol: “It is probably also a bit of power.”
Joost: “Yes, and then I think: we’ll give him that as a gift, that he’ll get another evening like that. And we don’t. Then put him against the real challenger of the VVD, JA21. Then we can have a real debate instead of letting him finish everything. He won’t get away with everything, but it won’t get really political, you know.”
Özcan Akyol critical
Özcan Akyol is firmly against the plan to have Rutte come by, he says in yesterday’s Today Inside. “I think you are totally throwing away your credibility as a program. It’s two days before the election. He doesn’t come here on March 13 for no reason. He just wants to take you all in.”
“He knows there are a million people watching, especially on Mondays. So I don’t understand why you borrow for that as Today Inside. So that’s dubious, because those other people aren’t allowed to come. And when Johan is here… Johan always has a big mouth about people, but when they are there he dims anyway. I wouldn’t do it, but it’s your show.”
Double feelings
Wilfred Genee also has doubts now. “I also have some mixed feelings. Yes, exactly what Eus says. You and Johan are not going to tackle him anymore, of course.”
Hélène Hendriks: “Then it has to come from you.”
Wilfred: “Then I have to go all out. But of course he knows that too. Because if I go in with a straight leg, he will also benefit from that. (…) And of course, he will laugh along with a joke. And if we make fun of him, he has to laugh even harder.”
Özcan: “And then you helped him get a few seats.”
Wilfred: “Yes, that is our fault.”
Özcan: “That is your fault, propaganda channel actually.”
Call off
It now seems like a serious option to let Rutte shoot. Wilfred: “Shall we call him off?”
A good idea, thinks Hélène. “I would do it.”
Özcan: “I would call him off.”
Wilfred: “Is that still possible or not?”
Hélène: “Or two weeks later.”
Wilfred: “Yes, after the elections. Then it is allowed.”
Özcan: “You still find it difficult to make that decision, I can tell from you.”
Wilfred: “Well, we should also be able to do that in consultation with our nestor. (…) We have to wait a while until Johan goes along with it, but it might be more sensible, isn’t it?
Hélène: “I think so.”
Özcan: “Yes, for the credibility of the program. Let him go to Buitenhof, to Nieuwsuur.”
Wilfred: “Yes, to Jeroen Pauw. He also wants to arrange something for him.”
