A warm-up for Election Day was The debate of the NOS on NPO1 Tuesday evening. The final debate was broadcast from the ‘Stadshuis’ in Nieuwegein in the heart of the Netherlands, where people vote “average”, said presenter Rob Trip in advance. So hopelessly shattered. The Nieuwegein city council now has 33 seats and 14 political groups. One national party with 7 seats dominates. Yes that one.
Also read: Latest TV debate shows: it is difficult to debate about Ukraine
In the end, seven national politicians were mainly engaged in their rehearsed, national fight. In between, Trip allowed them to end the war in Ukraine and prevent a Third World War. An unavoidable theme, but something different than whether or not Hengelo is car-free.
Geert Wilders had called in sick and apparently the PVV has no replacements. It was too late to ask someone else, NOS says. So D66 minister Rob Jetten was allowed to debate climate with himself next to an empty column, and CDA minister Wopke Hoekstra with himself about refugees. Jetten went straight into it. He called Wilders a Putin friend. Hey, Trip said, Wilders can’t defend himself.
The local feeling during the final debate was mainly in mini-reports in between. About farmer Jeroen Boesenkool from Rouveen and his 115 cows, for example, who may have to stop due to nitrogen regulations. Farmer Boesenkool from Rouveen is not our enemy, but our ally, said ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Seegers to GroenLinkser Jesse Klaver. Huib Kool from the languishing Oudesluis will not vote for the first time in fifty years. It makes no sense, in his opinion. The village school has long since been closed, there are no more shops, no pub. “A sad final chord,” Trip said on his Trips.
energy transition
The NOS support act from Nieuwegein was surprising, The mood with Winfried Baijens. Local party leaders – most of them not professional politicians – were asked about housing, climate and safety.
In Veendam, they want the Lelylijn to the north, but no urbanization, and priority for regional residents on homes, said alderman Henk Jan Schmaal of GemeenteBelangen Veendam. In Rotterdam, the current housing policy must be radically changed; new construction must be 50 percent social rent, said BIJ1 party leader Mieke Megawati Vlasblom, a 25-year-old talent. Try taking control in that wild political landscape as minister of spatial planning, Hugo de Jonge’s next cross.
They don’t want windmills in Veendam either, said alderman Schmaal. But unfortunately, they are already there. A total of 35 wind turbines that also hum, it would be due to previous PvdA directors. How should the energy transition work then, Baijens asked? With hydrogen boilers that you simply plug into a socket, Schmaal said. “Clearly,” said Baijens, without asking where that power should come from.
There was a film with a young and an old councilor: Thirsa van der Meer (21) of the CDA in Aalsmeer and Rinze Visser (83) of the NCPN from De Fryske Marren. Ah, that hardening in politics is not that bad, they both said. Van der Meer: “Sometimes the real debate is missing. Sometimes it’s a bit of talking to each other and nodding yes and amen.” Communist Visser even allowed it to be ‘a little harder’. “Stand up for your opinion, I think.”
Twitter explodes, the city council implodes.
Pie charts showed that the feast of democracy is ultimately for a selective group. Of the 8,500 councilors, 69 percent are male and 62 percent are 50-plus. Also an interesting fact: local parties represent 39 percent of the councilors, 34 percent of the aldermen, but only 3 percent of the mayors. You almost start to think: the highest office is reserved for a party cartel.
This column will be written by various authors until April 25.