Today, Minister De Jonge, now Minister for Housing, explains his role in the controversial face mask deal with entrepreneur Sywert van Lienden. Van Lienden said he did the deal on a non-profit basis, but made millions on the masks.
Apologies not enough
Hundreds of apps were released yesterday about the mouth cap deal† The documents show that De Jonge had contact with Van Lienden several times, while De Jonge himself always denied being involved in the controversial face mask deal. The minister already carefully went through the dust yesterday to avoid questions about this, but the parties today demand more explanation. “Apologies are not enough,” says MP Fleur Agema (PVV).
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Why didn’t he answer honestly?
It particularly bothers PvdA MP Attje Kuiken that De Jonge for a long time pretended that he was not involved in the ‘shady deal’, while he did know about it. “Why didn’t he answer honestly about his involvement?” Kuiken wonders.
According to the SP, De Jonge held back the truth until there was no other option. “Why wasn’t information disclosed earlier?”, said SGP leader Kees van der Staaij.
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CDA under fire
As far as the CDA is concerned, the integrity of its own minister is ‘not up for discussion’. That is what MP Joba van den Berg says. According to Van den Berg’s reading, Van Lienden is the culprit and De Jonge, like everyone else, has been ‘tricked out’ by him.
That explanation shot, among others, PVV MP Fleur Agema in the wrong throat. “You too were a CDA wheelbarrow”, she told Van den Berg.
D66 believes that the information should have come to the House ‘much earlier, much clearer and much more careful’. The VVD does not yet want to pass judgment on Hugo de Jonge’s actions in the face mask deal. “Minister De Jonge has to provide further text and explanation today, create context.”
Trust in politics
Many parties are also tackling the debate to address another recurring theme: trust in politics. “Voters are losing confidence and it is serious to conclude that there is every reason to do so,” said Volt leader Laurens Dassen.
“We’re not talking about an incident here today, but about a damaging pattern.”
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Diseased governance culture
According to him, the cabinet is only making the habit of properly and fully informing the House of Representatives if there is really no other option. GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver is done with the ‘sick administrative culture’ of the cabinet. “We have to deal with that,” he said. According to him, the debate is about something bigger, about democracy.
Member of parliament Wybren van Haga announced right at the start of the debate that he would table a motion of no confidence against the minister. He called the actions of the former health minister ‘horrifying’. It is also clear to Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging that De Jonge has misinformed the House.
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