“All three will try to convey that they are worthy of prime minister,” says Van Grieken, who has been involved in numerous television debates as a debate expert. Tonight’s debate (at 9:30 PM on RTL4 and on this website) is between the three parties that according to the Peilingwijzer are now the largest.
Leading the country
“They will want to show that they are fit to lead the country.” The fact that Omtzigt has not yet said that he is the prime ministerial candidate of his new party makes little difference.
“They will try to stand a little above the parties. Because attacking someone harshly may work well to win the debate, but not to radiate that you are a statesman or -woman. Viewers may therefore think: nice that you can give the other person a good beating, but are you also a good prime minister?”
“What will happen every now and then, and that is nice for viewers to pay attention to, is that when two of the politicians get into each other’s throats, the other one will stand a little above it and then summarize the conversation a bit, floating above the parties.”
Prime Minister Omtzigt?
Speaking of the outstanding prime ministerial candidate, Van Grieken expects clarity about this from Omtzigt this evening.
“It could of course be that he continues to beat around the bush, but I think that would be unwise. Because there is a good opportunity for Omtzigt to ensure that in all after-thoughts he is discussed in a positive way. If he the debate announces that he is his party’s prime ministerial candidate, then you know you will be the opening of the newspaper the next day. My prediction is that he will do that tonight.”
One-liner that sticks
Back to what the viewer should pay attention to. “Pay attention to a statement or a sentence that sticks. These have all been rehearsed. Like when BBB leader Caroline van der Plas said during CollegeTour, where party leaders answered questions from students, ‘If there is as much bullshit in the Trêves Hall as there is here, then I don’t feel like it’.”
“That is such a prepared quote that is intended so that people at home can identify with Van der Plas. So that the voter feels at home with BBB, because she expresses their feelings.”
Van Grieken just wants to say: as a viewer, think about why someone says something and ask yourself: what sticks around afterwards? The fact that all those one-liners have been prepared is not a problem at all, says Van Grieken. “That’s a good thing. You have 1.5 hours to discuss complex issues and the question is who can express it best. You also don’t want politicians to start such a debate unprepared.”
Champions League-finale
But that also makes it complicated. “It shouldn’t look too rehearsed. It’s a bit like taking a penalty in the Champions League final. It has to look good, but it has to be in place. And you don’t want a slip.”
And for this one thing is necessary: sticking to the preparation very closely. Don’t come up with something yourself during a debate, because then you run a big risk. At the same time, a politician must respond spontaneously when something unexpected happens.”
Blunder
And if something goes wrong, you can always choose to embrace it. Like Mark Rutte who called for his assistant Carolien when he was at a loss during a debate. “He was the first to admit that it was a major blunder. That seems very natural. Others would probably have been more bothered by it, but Rutte let it slide. Then it immediately becomes sympathetic.”
The latter is special, says Van Grieken. “That is also a lot of experience. And also having confidence that things will turn out well. The team around the politician is also responsible for that.”
In any case, it is important that the politician does not try to pretend otherwise. For example with trendy hobbies. “Someone has to be 100 percent themselves, otherwise viewers won’t believe it. If someone is boring, just magnify it a little.”
According to Van Grieken, this is now also being done with Frans Timmermans and his messy dressing style. “They embrace a characteristic. His suits are too big, his sleeves are too long. And his collar is always crooked. It’s all just not right. But that’s a bit like British former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He also did his hair mixed up on purpose for a performance.”
Contact
The most important thing for a politician to do well in a debate is to make contact with the voter. “Who can best express what is going on in the country? Who can identify the problems and feelings in society? And who can best outline a solution for this? So far, Omtzigt has done well with the problems surrounding social security. and confidence in government.”
Is a TV debate really that important? “Yes,” says Van Grieken. “It is the first major TV debate of these elections and it therefore sets the tone for the coming weeks until election day on November 22. If a politician does well during the debate, he or she will enjoy it a lot in the coming weeks “Anyone who does poorly will have to fight back in the coming weeks.”
2023-11-05 06:06:23
#prime #minister #worthy #watch #tonight
