WEDNESDAY,
20 MARCH 2024 - 14:28
https://nltimes.nl/2024/03/20/ball-will-timmermans-court-cabinet-formation-talks-collapse-vvd-leader
Ball will be in Timmermans' court if Cabinet
formation talks collapse again: VVD leader
The Cabinet
formation talks between the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB have reached a crucial
point, VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz said in the parliamentary debate on the
negotiations on Wednesday. “This may be the last chance for a center-right
Cabinet,” she said. “If the attempt fails, the ball will simply roll to Mr.
Timmermans.”
According
to the VVD leader, the four party leaders have “set their egos aside” to be
able to work together. “The differences between the four parties are not
small,” she said. “But fortunately, the will to make this work is great. We
don’t have to marry each other, we have to work together.”
GroenLinks-PvdA
leader Frans Timmermans appealed to the VVD, NSC, and BBB not to work with the
PVV. “For the first time in parliamentary history, the radical right will bear
responsibility for the country’s government,” he said in the debate, according
to the NOS liveblog. You cannot blame the PVV for that, but the other parties
bear responsibility. “They make it possible for Wilders to pull the strings.
Don’t do this to our country.”
According
to Timmermans, it makes no difference whether Wilders becomes Prime Minister or
remains a parliamentarian. “It doesn’t matter where Wilders sits, it will
always be the Wilders Cabinet.”
The
left-wing leader also asked PVV leader Geert Wilders to stop complaining about
not getting to be Prime Minister. The PVV is the largest party with 37 seats in
parliament, and that gives the party the right to take the lead in the Cabinet
formation, Timmermans said. “And that’s where your right ends. If you don’t
succeed, you can simply join the opposition. There is nothing undemocratic
about that.”
Earlier in
the debate, Wilders did again breach the topic of not becoming Prime Minister.
“I would be the best Prime Minister in the Netherlands,” he said. “I’m
convinced of that.” He said he would serve in that position “one day” and
called it “the greatest political sacrifice” he is now making.
Timmermans
accused Wilders of having a “messiah complex,” according to NOS. “Don’t portray
yourself as the savior of the homeland. Be a mature politician and stop
complaining that they don’t want you to be Prime Minister.”
Topics up
for discussion in next round of talks
Kim
Putters, the leader of the previous round of formation talks, included in his
report a list of topics the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB should make concrete
agreements about in the upcoming negotiations:
Asylum and
immigration
Nitrogen,
nature, water, agriculture, fishery, food security
Social
security, purchasing power
Healthcare
Public
housing
Good
governance
Security
Finances
Rule of Law
International
and business climate
D66 leader
Rob Jetten immediately raised concerns that topics like climate change and
education are not on that list. According to Yeşilgöz, that does not mean they
won’t be discussed. She plans to at least indicate which direction her party
will take on climate, education, and support to Ukraine. “You don’t have to
worry about that,” she told Timmermans.
“It won’t
be easy negotiations, NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt said when it was his turn to
talk. He said he was “particularly satisfied” with the shape of the new
Cabinet. An “extra-parliamentary program Cabinet is in line with our plea for a
new administrative culture.” The four party leaders won’t form part of the
Cabinet but remain in parliament, and half of the Ministers will come from
other parties or won’t be politicians at all, he said.
This new
type of Cabinet made him willing to continue discussing the content, even
though there are major differences between the parties, Omtzigt said. “There
are four quite different election manifestos. So there will have to be a lot of
discussion about it,” he said. If they reach an agreement, the NSC is “in
principle” willing to supply Ministers.
SGP and CDA surprised with formation leader
nominations
The
nomination of Elbert Dijkgraaf and Richard van Zwol to lead the next round of
formation talks came as a big surprise for the parties from which the two
nominees come. SGP leader Chris Stoffer said that he was not aware that
Dijkgraaf had been asked and agreed. Dijkgraaf used to be an SGP
parliamentarian, but has not been active for the party for some time.
CDA leader
Henri Bontenbal only learned just before the debate that Van Zwol would lead
negotiations for a new right-wing Cabinet. He was “disappointed” by that. “It
is clear that the formation parties are once again unable to supply people
themselves,” he said. The two previous formation leaders - Putters and Ronald
Plasterk - both came from the PvdA. Bontenbal did call Van Zwol “ a man with a
great track record within the national government and the Council of State.”
But this
leads him to worry that the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB will soon recruit Cabinet
members from other parties without consluting with those parties first. “Will
that happen through the parties or through individually asking Ministers?”
Bontenbal asked.
Yeşilgöz
said she’d do it through the parties but made no promises that it would happen
like that. “Other dynamics may also arise. I do not have complete control over
it myself.” According to the VVD leader, the Cabinet members must “absolutely
reflect” the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB, but she is open to Ministers from other
parties. “If you feel called to do so and want to contribute in the context of
the stability of the Netherlands, you are welcome.”
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário