The chairman of the House of Representatives Martin Bosma (PVV) wants to be a “kingfisher”. “The animal represents stability and protection,” he wrote to the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, the newly sworn-in House will elect a new chairman and Bosma wants to remain the face of Dutch democracy, he writes in a public application letter. But the PVV member is not without controversy and carries with him a political past and party color.
In 2023, Bosma became Speaker of the House, after the PVV became the largest party during the House of Representatives elections with 37 seats. He ran unsuccessfully in 2016 and 2021. The fact that a PVV member now became chairman of the highest institution in Dutch democracy made many MPs restless two years ago. It would prove that the radical right was no longer considered a taboo in the Netherlands. And
Bosma wrote that ‘Muslim migrants’ act as the ‘shock troops’ who prepare the way to turn the Netherlands into the ‘caliphate of Hollandistan’
But they were positively surprised after Bosma’s appointment: as promised, he did not show his party colors. Furthermore, Bosma always wanted to end debates before midnight, which he almost always achieved. He was often unable to limit the number of interruptions prior to debates. Above all, Bosma chaired debates with jeu, according to . He opened every debate with a poem.
At the same time, Bosma isolated himself from the outside world: for. He only played a public role at ceremonial moments.
‘mealy’
Bosma is not a tame chairman: he is often funny, sometimes witty. Caroline van der Plas (BBB) said this summer that Frans Timmermans (GroenLinks-PvdA) radiated “arrogance” and “dedain” because he used the term game changer used, while not all Dutch people speak English well. Bosma responded with “no problem“, to the amusement of the House. “I can imagine that the chairman is also becoming a bit corny by now,” said Rob Jetten, shaking his head and laughing.
But not everything is forgiven Bosma. Over the course of his two-year presidency, MPs became disillusioned with him. For example, during the last election campaign he did not reprimand two PVV party members who had posted defamatory AI images of then GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans on Facebook. He then received death threats. Bosma also allowed PVV leader Geert Wilders to make long and rude tirades without intervening.
Bosma did intervene when Stephan van Baarle (Denk) called the Schoof cabinet “extreme right”. When Laurens Dassen (Volt) described the PVV as extreme right-wing, Bosma also intervened, because the Volt leader would compare the PVV with National Socialism. D66 MP Jan Paternotte pointed out to Bosma that he himself has used the term extreme left “constantly” and compared it to Nazism.
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MP
Bosma was a kind of party ideologist for the presidency, who gave an intellectual edge to Wilders’ texts. He also went public with this – more than other PVV members. He had a column between 2010 and 2011 NRC Handelsblad.
In the twenty years that he has been a Member of Parliament, Bosma has made several controversial statements. He wrote the book in 2010 The false elite of the counterfeiters in which he declared “the model of party democracy” “dead” long ago. Bosma also wrote that “Muslim migrants” act as the “shock troops” who prepare the way to turn the Netherlands into the “caliphate of Hollandistan”. In 2015 he wrote a book about South Africa, in which he describes that the Dutch, like white South Africans, would become a ‘minority in their own country’.
Those lyrics stuck with him. In 2024, Bosma was not welcome at the commemoration of Keti Koti, where he would lay a wreath as Speaker of the House. The National Institute for the Dutch Slavery History and Heritage withdrew the invitation after Bosma refused to take back previous statements. Bosma has previously spoken of “slavery violence” and “anti-white racism”. He also wanted the Dutch government to withdraw its apologies for the history of slavery.
Bosma himself called those statements irrelevant, based on the same defense he always uses when confronted with statements he has made: he made them as a Member of Parliament, not as Speaker of the House.
Opponents
What also plays a role in this Tuesday’s election is that the chairman is in charge of the official support of the House. Under Bosma’s predecessors Vera Bergkamp (D66) and Khadija Arib (PvdA) there was a lot of fuss in that organization. Peace seems to have returned under Bosma.
It will become clear on Tuesday whether a parliamentary majority will grant Bosma a second term. It is difficult to estimate in advance what the current chairman’s chances are. The members of the House of Representatives vote anonymously and therefore do not have to follow a party line. Bosma has two competitors: VVD member Thom van Campen and GroenLinks-PvdA member Tom van der Lee.
If Van Campen wins the election, he will be the youngest Speaker of the House ever, at 35 years old
Van der Lee is an experienced vice-chairman and has been a member of the Chamber’s presidium since 2018. He is known for being strict and neutral. This is the second time he is attempting to become Speaker of the House. Van Campen has only been a Member of Parliament since 2021, but is already popular among colleagues. If he wins the election, he will be the youngest chairman ever at 35 years old.
In the presidential elections, candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated until one candidate is elected with a majority. It is therefore possible that Bosma will be voted out immediately, or that he will have to compete against Van der Lee or Van Campen. If the latter happens, it is quite possible that Bosma’s opponent will be seen as the ‘anti-PVV candidate’, which could win him many strategic votes.
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What was once said and written by Martin Bosma cannot be unsaid or erased
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