Yesilgöz apologizes to Douwe Bob, while her party is doing worse in the polls

VVD leader Dilan Yesilgöz has decided to apologize to the singer Douwe Bob. Yesilgöz had accused him of Jews hatred at the end of June, after he had canceled a performance at a Jewish football club because of ‘a Zionist poster and pamphlets’. Then Douwe Bob was seriously threatened and fled the country briefly. Around the allegation of Yesilgöz, a riot arose that continued after she did not want to apologize and repeated the accusation again. The VVD now seems to want to defuse the incidental unrest.

In one joint explanation Set Yesilgöz and Douwe Bob that they want to put a “line under the past period”. They know this five days after Douwe Bob brought summary proceedings against the VVD leader because she would encourage ‘public aversion’. He demanded that Yesilgöz remove the tweet, she has done that now. Yesilgöz and Douwe Bob opt for “connection and responsibility” in a “time of growing polarization,” they write in the statement.

Critics outside and within the VVD find Yesilgöz fierce and brash. Some people found the riot around Douwe Bob exemplary. Moreover, due to the summary proceedings, the issue threatened to continue dragging on and to further damage Yesilgöz during the campaign.

Quarrel

‘Adult politics’ is a term that the VVD has introduced since the Cabinet Schoof himself and with which Yesilgöz hoped to distinguish itself. But in the coalition with PVV, NSC and BBB, the VVD was unable to rise above the constant rowing. Partly because the party itself contributed to the strong polarization that The Hague is currently characterized.

Yesilgöz said at the VVD congress in June, for example, that the PvdA was taken over by the “extreme left-radical, activist part of the following GroenLinks”. Within her party, the question was asked afterwards how the VVD can still collaborate with GroenLinks-PvdA after such a qualification.

Yesilgöz and Douwe Bob write to choose ‘connection and responsibility’ in a ‘time of growing polarization’

The fact that Yesilgöz now made apologies in the Douwe Bob issue may be traced to the moderate position of the VVD in the run-up to the Lower House elections of 29 October. In recent polls from Ipsos I&O and Verian (EenVandaag) there is a falling trend among the liberals: the party is around twenty seats, four less than in the previous elections. The party threatens to be overtaken by the CDA, which now breaks with party leader Henri Bontenbal through the border of the twenty seats.

IPSOS I&O writes: “Magnoters are often critical of party leader Dilan Yesilgöz who is blamed for a populist style.” On the left, the party loses seats in particular to D66 and CDA. And on the right, the VVD has to deal with competitors JA21 and PVV, where voters leave who fear that the VVD will work with GroenLinks-PvdA. Currently, the VVD is not really satisfying both wings. And also about Yesilgöz himself, voters are not enthusiastic: only 18 percent of voters consider her a suitable prime minister.

Polish

Nevertheless, a leadership change seems unlikely for the elections: the members cannot replace Yesilgöz and she does not seem to be considering boarding. There is speculation about successors within the party. Opinionary Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans in particular is mentioned, to a lesser extent outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs Vincent Karremans.

Due to the negative trend, the VVD threatens to fall outside the top 3 of the largest parties in the polls, behind the PVV, GroenLinks-PvdA and the CDA. In the campaign, CDA leader Henri Bontenbal emphasizes decent politics, thereby creating a sharp contrast with the VVD. Until now, he seems to be increasingly rewarded for that strategy through the center-right voters-at the expense of the VVD. Bontenbal is called “clear” and “honest” in voter investigations.

The VVD hopes to go with more than two months until the elections stop the downward trend and to polish the image of Yesilgöz. The question is whether her other attitude on voters can still seem credible.

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