TV and radio presenter Dieuwertje Blok will speak on 4 May during the National Commemoration on Dam Square. Wim van de Donk, chairman of the National Committee for 4 and 5 May, announced this in an interview with journalist Leonard Ornstein.
Block is best known for it Sinterklaas news, but also presented various other programs. Every year she gives so-called ‘Freedom lectures’ at various primary schools, “in which she emphasizes the importance of making your own choices and thinking independently,” the committee writes.
Prior to Blok’s speech, writer Marcel Möring will hold the 4 May lecture in De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. On May 5, former European Council President and former Prime Minister of Belgium Herman Van Rompuy will give a lecture in Zwolle in Overijssel, this year’s host province of the national celebration of the liberation.
The theme of all commemorations, celebrations and other activities is this year Living with war. With this theme, the committee wants to draw attention to “the impact of war on individuals, families and society”. Last year, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema and historian and TV presenter Hans Goedkoop spoke during the National Commemoration.
National Committee 4 and 5 May chairman Van de Donk calls for a national day off on 5 May. Now that date is an official day off every five years. The chairman says that he is discussing this with employers’ organizations and the cabinet. “The fact that we can live together in freedom and democracy is something that is perhaps more urgent than many people realize.”
