As a 70-year-old, Tiny Kox from Tilburg has finally closed the door of the Senate behind her. He looks at the Omroep Brabant talk show KRAAK. back to his active career as a politician for the Socialist Party. Kox also looks ahead and slams the voter because the fickle voting behavior does not do democracy any good.
Kox grew up as a working-class son, his father worked at the cigar factory in Veldhoven. He was idealistic and noticed at an early age that his father’s treatment was different from that of people who were better off. “At university where I studied law and economics, I learned that everyone is equal and that the law applies to everyone, but I noticed that that was not the case,” says Kox.
As a law student, he ended up at the law center in the mid-1970s, where ordinary people could obtain their rights. “There I saw how big the differences were between employee and employer, tenant and landlord, citizen and government. That was inspiring.” He then came into contact with the SP through the legal center and his fate was actually sealed.
“I don’t think a government will emerge, it’s too much of a circus.”
Kox is now leaving politics during a complicated cabinet formation. If he had been an informant, he would have pulled the plug sooner. “It’s too much of a circus. Apparently no government can be formed and then we’ll pretend that we’re still going to come up with something. I’ve known informant Kim Putters for a long time and wish him all the best, but I don’t think anything will come of it.”
According to Kox, there was a striking moment during the debate last week about the cabinet formation. “I was surprised that Geert Wilders said to Mr Dassen from Volt: who are you, you have one or two seats, I have 37 seats.”
“Now Wilders has 37 seats and he is going to propose something he was always against.”
“But dear Geert,” Kox makes his point: “Now you have become the greatest and what should you say now? I am going to accept religious freedom, I will no longer close mosques, the Koran will not be banned, we will not cross borders.” close it completely. I thought how funny, now he has 37 seats and now he is going to propose something he was always against?!”
Where the whole of the Netherlands looks at the arguing politicians, Kox points to the voter. “After 20 years, I think I can say that voters are not so lazy and pay more attention. Don’t say if I voted for this party today and tomorrow I don’t like it anymore, then the day after tomorrow I will vote for another party, That is very bad. I think that democracy is extremely valuable. Then voters should not be so lazy and say, I will see how things go and whether I will vote.”
“Politicians made voters this way.”
According to Kox, voters should put more effort into democracy. “I don’t think they think carefully and that is largely due to the politicians. We convince voters of all kinds of things and the day after the elections we are already afraid of the next elections. We have made the voters this way. but voters who have cast their ballot cannot vote something else the next day. It has nothing to do with serious politics anymore.”