It is the Prime Minister, and not party leader Rob Jetten, who stands in front of the NBC conference center in Nieuwegein on Saturday morning. D66 is holding the party conference here this day. The attack by the United States and Israel on Iran has only begun a few hours ago, and Jetten must respond to this major geopolitical crisis. He calls for “restraint” from all parties.
Jetten usually does not use “I” in his words, but “Netherlands”: “The Netherlands is very critical of the Iranian regime.” And: “Many people have died during protests in Iran. The Netherlands has always strongly condemned this.”
Rob Jetten is no longer alone from D66. He seems aware this Saturday that the attack on Iran is his first real test in the role of prime minister. His conference speech, at the end of the morning, was updated at the last minute.
Before he discusses the election success and the newly appointed ministers and state secretaries of D66 (“put this team on a billboard”, as a tease to the VVD), he reflects on Iran. Again he talks about “restraint.” He also says: “All those people who are concerned, who have family and friends in the region, are our full priority.”
Many prime ministers, few party leaders
D66 has never experienced that the party leader is also prime minister. And many attendees noticed this dual role during the conference. Jetten speaks much of his speech as Prime Minister, it is less about party politics.
Iran is immediately a complicated issue for Jetten. His party is much more critical of American President Donald Trump and the Israeli Netanyahu government than the right-wing parties in the previous Schoof cabinet (PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB). This is clearly visible during a substantive session at the conference. MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy says in front of a packed room that Trump has “committed a coup” in the US due to his great influence on the institutions, and that it is “terrible what the White House wants.” “Trump would stop intervening abroad, that was a false promise.”
Member of Parliament Hanneke van der Werf says: “There was no UN mandate for this attack. Trump did not even ask permission from the US Congress.”
The words Rob Jetten uses are more careful. He does not want to assess now whether the attack is legitimate under international law. “We will first see with the cabinet and European partners on what grounds the attack was carried out.”
Peace and stability
His call for de-escalation is almost word for word the same as that of his predecessor Dick Schoof, last June. The US also attacked Iran then. At the time, Schoof, just like Jetten now, made an “urgent appeal (…) to prevent further escalation and to exercise restraint.” Last week, during the parliamentary debate on the government statement, opposition parties also noticed that when it came to foreign affairs, Jetten improvised little. The texts, for example about Israel-Palestine, remained close to those of Schoof. Big difference: Schoof did not belong to a party.
As Prime Minister, Rob Jetten, like other European leaders, has limited room for maneuver, says Atlantic Commission director Anna van Zoest, present at the conference for a panel discussion. The Atlantic Commission is a forum that aims to stimulate transatlantic relations. “Europe is not part of the conversation at the moment. This attack says everything about the way the United States views the world. At the same time, the Netherlands does have interests in a good outcome, hence Jetten’s call for de-escalation.”
Rob Jetten must also take Dutch interests into account in his response, says Van Zoest. These are mainly: peace and stability. “For example, it is about preventing a large-scale war and securing trade routes. Dutch ships must be able to continue sailing safely through the Strait of Hormuz. If things really get out of hand, our own interests are also at stake.” On stage in Nieuwegein, Jetten emphasizes the importance of peace in the region, although he makes a mistake when he says that “we must do everything to prevent de-escalation.”
Rob Jetten honors his predecessors as party leader of D66 – Hans van Mierlo, Jan Terlouw and Els Borst – at the party conference in Nieuwegein.
Photo RAMON VAN FLYMEN / ANP
Pastors honored
D66 mainly wants to celebrate last October’s election victory at the conference. Jetten enters, State of the Union style by the audience, after an exciting video in which his predecessors Hans van Mierlo, Jan Terlouw and Els Borst are honored. Jetten says: “Last Monday on the steps, next to the king, one thought went through my mind: what would they have thought of this moment?” In the front row, Jetten’s predecessor Alexander Pechtold and faction chairman Jan Paternotte look on with emotion.
Jetten’s premiership, and the different tone that comes with it, takes some getting used to for D66 members
Being the greatest is not just something to celebrate. It also means more responsibility, less idealism. D66, members at the conference say, has made less of its old ideals in recent times. The election campaign was conducted with more right-wing themes, such as national pride and migration.
Jetten’s premiership, and the different tone that comes with it, takes some getting used to for D66 members. Claudia Esajas, district committee member on behalf of D66 in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, says: “The Prime Minister’s jacket suits Rob Jetten well. But a conference is also the place to address the members. The danger is that the course will become too right, which could cost us votes in the municipal elections in Amsterdam. The risk is that we will deviate too much from our own basic principles.”
