The investigation into the alleged transgressive behavior of PvdA member Khadija Arib during her time as Speaker of the House of Representatives continues, but risks derailing. An employer-employee dispute escalated into political “intrigue”. Current House Speaker Vera Bergkamp seems to be less and less part of the solution. Today the House can pronounce on the matter.
No one is satisfied with the current situation and more and more people are being harmed. In recent days the explosive situation has worsened further, if possible.
Top House of Representatives officials, including top state employee Simone Roos, resigned before the weekend. A single.
Michel Meerts, chairman of the works council (o), announced the next day that civil servants no longer have faith in Bergkamp and the current political leadership (the presidium).
“Bergkamp cannot glue the fragments together. The damage is too great,” Meerts said News time.
Two days later, the other works council members denied that there was any distrust. It is characteristic of chaos and disorder.
Meanwhile, the Arib investigation continues, Bergkamp said on Monday.
Een overzicht:
- September: NRC meldt dat het presidium onderzoek doet naar ongewenst gedrag van oud-Kamervoorzitter Khadija Arib.
- Er zou sprake zijn van “machtsmisbruik” en een “schrikbewind”.
- Arib spreekt van een “politieke afrekening”.
- Oktober: Arib verlaat zonder afscheid na 24 jaar de Tweede Kamer.
- Oppositiepartijen willen dat het onderzoek wordt stopgezet, maar dat gebeurt niet.
- November: uit onvrede met de gang van zaken legt de ambtelijke top legt zijn functie neer.
- De druk op Bergkamp om af te treden groeit, zelf is de Kamervoorzitter dat niet van plan.
It’s hardly about civil servants anymore
First, this must be a blow to officials who feel insecure. For years there have been signs of a sick working atmosphere under Arib as Speaker of the House.
Those early signals had little effect. Now officials are shocked to see that the complaints being investigated have become part of a political chess game.
“I was particularly touched that in this situation there is little or no concern or sympathy for civil servants who have recently and in the past drawn attention to socially dangerous behaviour,” Chancellor Roos wrote in his farewell letter.
Arib is furious with Bergkamp
Arib also believes she is a victim of the situation and sees the investigation as a “political showdown” by Bergkamp and those around her. The former Speaker of the Chamber had to listen to the announcement of the investigation through the media.
Though Arib refuses to cooperate with the investigation, the PvdA member says he misses hearing from both sides. “I am not responsible to Ms. Bergkamp or to the presidency, I am not my employer,” Arib told the paper in late September. NO.
Surprisingly, the Presidium unanimously decided to launch an investigation. So Arib’s party member Henk Nijboer, who was a board member at the time, also agreed.
The Labor Party is trying to limit the damage
Her action shocked Arib and she made it known publicly. Nijboer received so many questions about it that she decided to leave the presidium. “I have never received so much criticism as in recent days,” wrote Nijboer.
Support the investigation. In Nijboer’s words, the reports about Arib are “serious, serious and sadly not incidental”.
The question is whether things will work out between Arib and the PvdA. In Arib’s farewell note, he clarified that he has lost the support of his party. Some subjects asked for clarifications immediately after the opening of the investigation, but the PvdA was not among them. This contributed to her decision to leave, Arib wrote.
For example, a popular PvdA member – witness the more than 50,000 preferential votes Arib received in 2021 – leaves the House with a bang after 24 years, but without saying goodbye.
Prominent members of the PvdA have tried to make something of it with videos on social media, but Arib has remained silent.
A part of the opposition would prefer to stop the searches
Many parties in the Chamber are also unhappy. SP, PVV, PvdA, PvdD, BBB and independent MEP Pieter Omtzigt are critical of the research.
The displeasure became painfully clear earlier this month during a very chaotic meeting in which Bergkamp failed to maintain order.
“Politicians should never investigate other politicians,” said PVV MP Gidi Markuszower. “Pay attention to the search. The institute is now damaged,” said SP member Renske Leijten.
MPs want a broader inquiry that also examines the roles of the Presidium and current House Speaker Bergkamp.
Despite everything, Bergkamp does not think of leaving
Bergkamp is now under fire from all sides. In addition to the above parties, officials are also dissatisfied with his actions. For example, the outgoing clerk Roos indirectly railed against the Speaker of the House.
Officials have been embroiled in a political debate, he wrote in his farewell letter. “I regret that the political leadership, despite my insistent requests, seems to have taken too little action in this regard”.
Bergkamp admitted on Friday that she has been unable to keep the issue out of politics. There was talk of “plots” and “very bad messages”. Despite everything, she doesn’t think of leaving. Bergkamp hopes to “pick up the pieces” in the coming period.
Officials in the spotlight for a while longer
For now, the big question is: but how? The research is already so controversial that for some, the result is tainted beforehand.
Bergkamp said it was important for the House to have its say on the matter, he said on Friday. But she returned on Monday without further explanation. If the Assembly wants to get involved further, it must take the initiative itself.
In any case, one thing is clear: the more than 600 MPs will be in the spotlight for even longer in the near future.
