“Imagination takes precedence over everything else,” says Omtzigt in De Balie debate center about ‘the current political culture that emerged under Prime Minister Rutte.’
According to Omtzigt, the minutes of the Council of Ministers released earlier this year show that the real problems of the benefit victims are not discussed during the allowances affair, but rather about raising the awareness of MPs who have not yet been named. He refers to a statement by Hoekstra, who emphasized in the Council of Ministers that the CDA has often tried to raise awareness about Omtzigt.
Omtzigt is also outraged that Hoekstra and Rutte are in the House as party leaders, while they are also outgoing ministers. “Every football player knows he needs an independent referee, but in The Hague self-checking is never a problem,” he says of the Chamber’s role as a government inspector.
Lack of control
The emphasis on image formation and the lack of firm control mean that policy does not fit in well with the problems that exist in the Netherlands. “That is why, in practice, reducing poverty rates takes precedence over poverty reduction, and our government policy focuses on improving purchasing power pictures, rather than improving purchasing power.” This creates gaps in social security, says Omtzigt.
According to the MP, improvement is especially needed in the area of housing, social security and a new social contract to restore the relationship between government and citizens. “These are themes that do not really tolerate delay, but the forming parties seem to lack this urgency.”
He argues for more government control in the field of public housing, the abolition of the landlord levy and more building outside the cities. He also proposes recalibrating the definitions of the minimum wage and minimum income, as well as reforming the tax system. In order to better monitor the government, the House should more often set up committees of inquiry instead of the government itself, says Omtzigt.
He believes that the House’s position as controller and co-legislator should be restored. That role is described in the constitution. He therefore suggests that the constitution should be hung on the wall in the House of Representatives, in order to remind the outgoing prime minister, in particular, of our constitutional task and task.
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