Every year, a Drenthe municipality is allowed to nominate two ‘ordinary’ people from another municipality to the province who can experience Budget Day up close. This year it is the turn of the municipality of Aa en Hunze and the luck falls to Roelof Dilling from Grolloo and Froukje Vennik from Gasselternijveen. Both also received a ribbon from the king last year.
If Budget Day is on television, he doesn’t watch it. “I think the royal family is fine, but all that hassle I don’t think there’s any need for it.” But Dilling has been specially invited to attend Prinsjesdag in The Hague this year and he considers that a great honor. “I think it’s beautiful. It’s a bit of appreciation.”
That’s how Vennik looks at it too. “I really like it. Although I’m definitely not the type that needs to be in the foreground. So at first I thought: does that suit me? But I’m just going to enjoy it anyway!”
Her opinion about Budget Day is also quite similar to Dilling’s. “I always find the Speech from the Throne to be a great listen, but the rest around it I actually think, uh, yes, it’s a puppet show. Haha! It’s quite a show, but it’s not that I hate the royal family. No, it’s is really great.”