D66 leader Sigrid Kaag clashed hard with Geert Wilders (PVV) about diversity on Sunday evening during the RTL election debate. “You deliberately pursue a discriminatory policy. We have to talk about racism and exclusion, and you participate very hard in that,” Kaag told the PVV leader.
The party leaders debated diversity in politics. Does at least one in ten ministers in a subsequent cabinet have a non-Western background?
2.4 million Dutch people have a migration background, but that is not reflected in the cabinet.
Wilders immediately claimed a leading role in the debate by saying that he does not “like such statements”. “The first person of color I would like to defend is Zwarte Piet,” said the PVV leader. This led to annoyance at Kaag, who accused Wilders of “having fun in hurting”.
Mark Rutte (VVD) emphasized that he is not in favor of such a quota, because he is afraid that ministers will wonder whether they are there because of their qualities or origins. Wopke Hoekstra (CDA) also believes that it is better to opt for quality and diversity afterwards instead of beforehand. Kaag, Jesse Klaver (GroenLinks) and Lilian Marijnissen (SP) did vote for the proposition.
Rutte is accountable to victim benefits affair
In between debates, the six leaders all received a question from a citizen. Mark Rutte was face to face with a victim of the Supplement affair. “You have abandoned me”, said Kristie Rongen. She wanted to know from Rutte why he did not resign while he was ultimately responsible.
“Of course I also asked myself that question, can I continue? I have also thought about it. This is such a shame, this is such a debacle. But I have considered that many things have gone well. the past ten years, which I am proud of. And on balance I have decided to continue, “replied Rutte.
Rongen emphasized that they were like “rats trapped” and wanted to know from Rutte whether he would accept his responsibility if the problems had not yet been resolved in a year’s time. “We are now working on getting rid of the snot,” said Rutte. “We really want to solve it.”
Klaver accuses Rutte and Hoekstra of lying about climate plans
The party leaders were also presented with a statement about the construction of nuclear power plants. Again Kaag, Klaver and Marijnissen faced Rutte, Hoekstra and Wilders.
Both Hoekstra and Rutte stated that the Netherlands can achieve the climate goals with the construction of new nuclear power plants. Klaver and Marijnissen were strongly against it. According to the two left-wing party leaders, it cannot be paid and it will take decades before the power stations are ready for use. Just like Kaag, they argue for solar, wind energy and hydrogen.
Klaver then went on the attack and said that Rutte and Hoekstra are lying “crystal clear”. “You claim that a nuclear power plant will help achieve the targets within ten years.” According to the GroenLinks leader, this is not true and he called the plans of the parties a “mirage”. “We only have ten years to tackle climate change,” said Klaver. Rutte answered that there are also climate goals for 2050 that must be achieved.
