After a long first day in the traditional debate after the budget announcement, more parliamentary party leaders had their say, with potential coalition partner JA21 fielding most questions, broadcaster NOS reported.
Animal rights party PvdD’s Esther Ouwehand kicked things off by saying that animal welfare is still “a complete mess” and accused the outgoing government of discarding all the measures aimed at improving them. An explanation from the prime minister on why the measures have not been carried out is long overdue, she said.
Next in line was new FvdD parliamentary party leader Lidewij de Vos, who said she did not want “a different migration policy but no migration policy at all.” Migrants should be sent home, De Vos said, and the Netherlands should leave the EU and abandon all plans to reduce CO2. That, she claimed, would leave “billions” to solve problems such as the lack of housing.
Shepherd
The SGP’s Chris Stoffer started his speech by comparing prime minister Schoof to the shepherd from the psalm ‘The lord is my Shepherd’, watching over an ever-dwindling flock. He went on to promote evangelism over ideology, including alternatives for traditional SGP bugbears abortion and euthanasia.
Mirjam Bikker of the left-wing Christian party ChristenUnie called the political goings-on of the last year an unholy mess. “MPs should have taken their responsibility and not scarpered,” she said. She proposed a fixed term for MPs that would mean they have to sit out the full four years. “We are going to the polls more often than the Italians,” she added.
Volt leader Laurens Dassen lamented the lack of public trust in politics and blamed the coalition parties. Too much bickering put important issues, such as climate change and nitrogen reduction, on the back burner, he said. Looking ahead to the next cabinet, Dassen said he feared there would be too many compromises.
Christmas dinner
“We should not polder [make compromises] for the sake of it and use that as an excuse to put off real decisions,” he said. Dassen compared the situation to a Christmas dinner in which a know-it-all uncle dominates the discussion, with an aunt with extreme ideas butting in. “But the fresh ideas of an enthusiastic niece or nephew are being ignored,” he said.
JA21
Last but by no means least, Joost Eerdmans, whose party JA21 is currently on one seat but is on course to win nine on October 29, argued against proposed changes to flight tax rates, which would make long journeys more expensive than short-haul flights.
Eerdmans also confirmed he wants to do away with the benefit system, claiming that this will stimulate people to get a job. He also said the current right-wing coalition could go ahead and “steer things in the right direction” without having to wait for elections.
The far-right politician was interrupted much more frequently than other speakers, with the other leaders asking him to be specific on issues such as pensions and benefits.
