From discussions to jokes: this is how the Netherlands responds to Westland’s attitude about the distribution law

Westland is big news, after the majority of the municipal council indicated that it does not want to implement the new Distribution Act. That caused many reactions throughout the country. From loads of criticism to lots of support and jokes on national television.

On Tuesday evening, Remmert Keizer, group leader of GemeenteBelang Westland, was on the talk show Op1. There he explained why the majority of Westland politicians do not want to implement the dispersal law. Jaap Kuin, mayor of Pekela, was also at the talk show table. He talked about the problems with the reception of asylum seekers on the other side of the country. “If every municipality emptied the sports hall for fourteen days to accommodate asylum seekers there. Then we would have no problem in Groningen.”

Keizer completely disagrees with this. He believes that the problem may only get worse if every municipality opens a sports hall, creating space in the reception location in Ter Apel. Then the problem with asylum seekers in the Netherlands will no longer be visible, he says. In addition, according to him, the reception of persons is broader than just asylum seekers. “As a municipality, we purchased a hotel in 2023 to house status holders, we have made progress on that. In addition, we accommodate many Ukrainians and we have to deal with the housing of many migrant workers. So it is much more than just housing asylum seekers.”

Special name. It can feel like a weakness if you have to put sensible words in your name

Arjen Lubach about Westland Verstandig

Lubach

On Tuesday evening, the distribution law and the attitude of Westland politics also received attention in the satirical program De Avondshow with Arjen Lubach. An interview between WOS and Keizer is shown in the broadcast. “As far as I am concerned, Westland will absolutely not adhere to this law. We will not allow anything to be imposed on us, especially not by a bunch of people in the Senate who should have made a different decision,” Keizer says. Soon the jokes about that start. “Because that’s how it should work; the House of Representatives makes the laws and the Senate interprets the will of the municipality of Westland,” says presenter Lubach, laughing.

Lubach also shows a video in which Peter Duijsens of Westland Verstandig says he does not like the distribution law. “We have to look for support in Westland. I can guarantee you: that support is not there,” says Duijsens in that recording. Lubach then jokes about the name Westland Verstandig. “Special name. Can feel like a weakness if you have to use sensible language in your name.”

Discussions also broke out on social media about the distribution law and Westland’s attitude. While one person finds Westland’s attitude ‘good’, another finds it ‘irresponsible’.

‘Don’t buy anything in the Westland’

In an opinion piece on BNNVara website Joop, historian Han van der Horst states: “The benefits, not the burdens, that is the mentality. And anyone who says something about it can get a big mouth. If it stays at that.
The shopping centers in Westland are popular with people from the surrounding area because there is a wonderful selection without parking problems. In this way they finance the coffers of a community that dumps social problems over the municipal border and thinks that is how it should be. Don’t buy anything in Westland. Stay away from it. Take the metro or the Randstadrail and shop in the Haaglanden or the Rijnmond area. Get Spanish tomatoes and grapes from the greengrocer. Make the Westlanders pay for their antisocial attitude.”

However, columnist Jan Dijkgraaf understands Westland’s attitude. “If a municipality does not voluntarily cooperate and is bribed with additional compensation up to 5,000 euros per nose, the State can simply take over power in a municipality. (…) But no judge will go, with the Coercion Act in hand , municipalities that legally revolt against State coercion are right. This means that you are simply the Sjaak, just like all those other municipalities about which the miserable consequences of our ‘Be welcome in our country’ policy are spread. By that I mean that you have to cooperate? No, of course not! You have to stand your ground. David against Goliath.”

‘Westland provokes distribution law’

The headline in the Trouw newspaper on Wednesday morning read: ‘Westland opposes a dispersal law that it has provoked itself’. Public administration expert John Bijl says that the distribution law was introduced by a municipality like Westland.

Before voting in the Senate on Tuesday, Westland was also discussed. Senator Alexander van Hattem (PVV) said: “To give an example: today the municipality of Westland, the municipal council, has already said ‘we are not going to implement this’. So you will soon have very big discussions when municipalities say: we are called to co-administration under this law.” Annabel Nanninga (JA21) called on municipalities to follow Westland’s example. “There are municipalities such as Westland that are already saying: we are really not going to do this. We also call on municipalities to follow Westland’s example and not go along with this.”

State Secretary Eric van der Burg already informed RTL Nieuws about Westland’s ‘refusal position’. “A director’s name is alderman for a reason; you have to abide by the law.”