Wilfred Genee and his VI colleagues have decided to let Mark Rutte come anyway. For that reason they also want to admit other politicians. “But Geert Wilders? That makes no sense anyway.”
The daily SBS 6 hit Today Inside is a very interesting stage for right-wing and populist parties due to its relatively conservative target group. They would therefore like to come, but parties such as BBB and JA21 received no response time and time again. And if VVD Prime Minister Mark Rutte reports? Then the gates will open wide.
“What is Wisdom?”
The fact that VI is very much in favor of Rutte – his only ‘free spot’ for the talk show happens to be a day and a half before the elections – has led to a lot of criticism for the programme. For a moment there was therefore doubt about canceling Rutte again, but that is not going to happen.
Wilfred Genee in the broadcast from yesterday: “Two days before the election… Is that wisdom? Is it wisdom?”
Colleague Johan Derksen: “He won’t come here in his life if we need him and now he will. He gets his way everywhere, he gets his way with the VARA, he gets his way with us. (…) No, it is not wisdom and we are being abused. Enormous! But what do we care about being abused?”
Nice evening
Job Knoester has no problem with Rutte’s arrival. “I think it’s really bullshit. Everyone is so afraid of Rutte as if he could not be touched. I think if he can be tackled anywhere, it’s here. I seriously think people are too scared that he will get away with everything.”
Johan: “Yes, but it is not a competition to stick it against the wallpaper.”
Rutte does have time for VI, but not for a debate on the right. “Yes, but if certain people do not want to sit with certain people, then you can say: then we will not do it at all, or we will have a nice evening here with Mark Rutte. And what the entire journalism thinks of it, it will be worst,” says Johan.
‘Kaag too!’
Wilfred does want to offer a platform to other politicians because of Rutte’s arrival. “But then we have to go on, I think. If we then do Mark Rutte, we should also take Hugo de Jonge and Caroline van der Plas.”
René van der Gijp: “Then I would also recommend Kaag.”
Wilfred: “Kaag too. Invited here too.”
Johan: “Let me call Kaag personally, because I do have a good relationship with her.”
Job has doubts: “Hugo and Mark are fun. It has to be fun.”
Wilder does not
Geert Wilders is not welcome again. “You can also say: we can also do Geert Wilders, but what is difficult about the PVV is that that party cannot work with anyone.”
The PVV leader is present at Shownieuws. There he is on Wednesday. Other politicians in the show section are Caroline van der Plas (Tuesday), Mark Rutte (Thursday) and Wopke Hoekstra (Friday).
Ronald Molendijk, who canceled Shownieuws a few years ago because Rutte was also coming, was shocked: “I’m just watching, but I see to my horror that I’m scheduled on Thursday.”
It is not yet clear whether he will also cancel this time.
Commentary
Investigative journalist Kim van Keken finds Johan’s response weak. She dedicated a thread to it:
