It is the victory of democracy, says SP leader Ruud Kuin. Tonight, the Haarlem city council will agree to the request for a referendum on the introduction of paid parking. During a preparatory committee meeting it became apparent that the coalition was changing tack. The applicants and the political parties that fought for a popular poll last year have already planned a referendum party after the council meeting.
It doesn’t really get exciting anymore; the debate in that council meeting. PvdA leader Maarten Wiedemeijer explained the change in the committee meeting two weeks ago: “To increase confidence in politics.” The majority of the council actually did not want a referendum. For them, the introduction of paid parking in eleven residential areas is too important for the accessibility of the ever-expanding city.
View from table
A spontaneous petition with almost 8,000 signatories and 1,200 objections submitted made it clear that many Haarlem residents think differently. And the fact that that opinion is being dismissed has always been a thorn in the side for opposition parties.
Until recently, a support survey was decisive as to whether paid parking permits would be implemented in a neighborhood to reduce parking pressure. And now all objections were rejected and a referendum denied. This is now made possible by a court ruling and urgent advice from the objections committee.
“Regardless of the outcome of a referendum, it is important that there is a major debate about it in Haarlem,” says SP councilor Ruud Kuin on behalf of the opposition parties. “The average Haarlemmer is very reasonable, as long as you involve him and take him seriously. That’s where the anger is, that’s where the venom is. And that has to go.”
Raise a glass
The applicants and a hundred active supporters, gathered at meetings and via Facebook, have been invited to raise a glass at a party after the final judgment this evening. “Because it is a historic date,” Kuin states in the invitation. He is still careful not to get too enthusiastic, because 4,000 signatures will soon be needed for the referendum to actually go ahead. “And then we also need a turnout of thirty percent in the referendum, for the outcome to count as compelling advice.”
It is up to the SP whatever the outcome of the parking referendum will be. Kuin is not completely against the introduction of paid parking and a permit system. But he does criticize the fact that the support surveys have been radically canceled after the municipal elections in 2022. And that many political parties did not openly say in their campaigns that people in Haarlem had to pay for a spot for their car on the street.
‘To be right or to be right’
“Only GroenLinks has always been open and clear about this,” says Kuin. “But that party does not have an absolute majority, so you cannot legitimize the fact that the voter has simply chosen this.” Whether payment will ultimately be made for the car in front of the door is and remains a decision of the municipal council. But as PvdA member Maarten Wiedemeijer said during the committee meeting: “There is a difference between being right and being proven right.”