Party leader Henk Krol departs from 50PLUS and starts a new movement: the Party for the Future, Krol reports in a statement on Sunday. Independent Member of Parliament Femke Merel van Kooten also joins the new party.
“For eleven years we tried to make 50PLUS a serious party. Everyone can objectively determine that this has not been successful,” writes Krol.
“Unfortunately, the members are not in first place at 50PLUS. It is often about egos and there are too many job hunters within the club. I no longer want to be part of that. And if I were you, I would no longer want to” he continues.
Furthermore, Krol writes that 50PLUS “has a wrong party structure” and “halls are squabbled to push through their own views”.
Van Kooten: ‘More participation than once every four years’
Van Kooten has joined Krol’s new movement, she says to it on Sunday AD. “It will be a party that will actively involve people, especially through its own website, in the work we do as representatives of parliament in parliament. We want to give them more say than just once every four years via the ballot box.”
“Think of an ongoing online congress. The site allows members to have a say on the positions, on motions and on parliamentary questions,” said the former Party for the Animals politician.
Krol confirms in TV program WNL that he will participate in next March’s elections with his new party and that he wants to be the party leader. “If the members want it, yes, yes.”
He did not split from 50PLUS to a one-man fraction, but he does split the entire fraction, so that employees can continue working for him. A “unique situation”, says Krol, about which the Presidium (the daily management) of the House of Representatives still has to consider.
Last weekend it was announced that the board of the elderly party 50PLUS resigned. In addition to chairman Geert Dales, this consisted of Bert Kannegieter and Robert Gielisse. It had been rumbling within the party for weeks.
Dales under attack, Krol was behind him
MPs Léonie Sazias, Gerrit Jan van Otterloo and Corrie van Brenk announced in mid-April that they had given up their confidence in Dales. 50PLUS MPs have been complaining in recent weeks about Dales’ “autocratic and less democratic” style of government.
They also blamed him for foul language, he would be insulting to members and derogatory towards the people’s representatives.
Earlier, Member of Parliament Martine Baay, founder and honorary chairman Jan Nagel and Senate party leader Martin van Rooijen also expressed their confidence in the chairman, as did eight provincial presidents and ten members of Parliament. Party leader Krol, however, remained behind the chairman.
– .
