First there were five, now there is only one. After the elections two weeks ago, the parliamentary Corona inquiry committee was empty. The only survivor: chairman Daan de Kort, who, with position twenty on the VVD candidate list, will just remain in the House of Representatives. “Very unfortunate,” says De Kort about the forced departure of his committee members, “after all that thankless, invisible and hard work behind the scenes.”
In addition to De Kort, the committee consisted of the non-re-elected Peter Smitskam (PVV) and Anita Pijpelink (GroenLinks-PvdA, also vice-chairman). The other two, Mariska Rikkers-Oosterkamp (BBB) and Sander van Waveren (NSC), were no longer even on their party’s list in these elections. At 32 months, the research into corona policy is one of the longest surveys ever. Important research themes are decision-making by the cabinet and the House of Representatives, the role and independence of advisors such as the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), RIVM and the planning agencies, dealing with ‘corona critics’ and the restriction of fundamental rights.
Didn’t hear no
De Kort says he has now been in contact with the faction leaders of the larger parties (D66, PVV, GroenLinks-PvdA, CDA, JA21) about whether they want to provide a new committee member. He is optimistic about this: “I certainly haven’t heard ‘no’. It looks positive. Don’t forget that 150 House seats voted for this survey.”
The parties are still working on the portfolio distribution within their group and will decide this week whether – and who – they will take a seat on the corona committee. The appointment of the new members will then officially follow during an arrangement of activities in the House of Representatives, only then can they start with an induction program.
The exodus from the corona committee is somewhat symbolic of all the personnel changes in De Kort’s committee
The ‘old’ committee continued to work during the summer and election recess to complete all 87 closed preliminary discussions and to prepare a transition file.
That is immediately the homework for the new committee members. The public hearings, the next part of the investigation, are likely to begin next spring.
Messy history
The exodus from the corona committee is not unique – the parliamentary inquiry committee on Fraud Policy and Services was also interrupted by mid-term elections – but it is somewhat symbolic of all the personnel changes in De Kort’s committee.
Ever since the House of Representatives unanimously approved the survey at the end of 2021 and a temporary committee started developing the research proposal, there have been rumblings in the committee. Parties appeared to disagree about which topics should be investigated, found the investigation too extensive and feared that it would lead to a settlement with the cabinet.
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The new parliamentary inquiry committee on corona is small and skeptical
After adjusting the research proposal, the official corona committee was able to get to work, but the unrest remained. Parties left the committee and returned (BBB, FVD) and members were replaced in the meantime (BBB, FVD, NSC). FVD finally left the inquiry committee completely in May this year.
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