The corona press conference would be more exciting than ever. Resistance to the measures has never been so great; the people threw their ass against the manger. In recent days, shops have opened, the catering industry happily tapped one beer after another and mayors went to the talk shows to speak out against the lockdown. How would the cabinet deal with pressure from angry entrepreneurs and concerned authorities?
It was not an easy start for the brand new government team that, in addition to a few old acquaintances, mainly consists of new faces. People who have only been in office for five days. And the first thing they heard: the people don’t trust you. Every self-respecting broadcaster or newspaper presented the results of a survey on Monday: only one-third have confidence in the new team of ministers. For the rest of the Netherlands, the following applies: first see, then believe.
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On the steps of Noordeinde Palace they were already confronted with the shouting, from a distance, of the demonstrators who wanted to send the new cabinet home on the day it was sworn in. A rather quick judgment about a cabinet that has not yet been able to show anything. And at the ministry, the newcomers were immediately warned by their officials about the growing unease among voters. Not the most dreamed-up start to a new job.
The new justice minister, VVD member Dilan Yesilgöz, immediately had to apologize for a somewhat unfortunate, multi-explainable statement about the lack of compliance with the corona rules. And for the new State Secretary for Mining, D66 member Hans Vijlbrief, it was a painful experience that the organization completely failed to apply for a subsidy for earthquake damage. Hundreds of people from Groningen had been waiting for nothing in the freezing cold at the town hall; the money was gone by the end of the day.
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And then the litmus test, the ultimate test for the new cabinet, was yet to come. Under great public pressure, Rutte-4 had to decide whether or not the corona measures could be relaxed. The lockdown of the past four weeks had had zero impact on the number of new infections, which is relatively about the same as in countries where everything had not been locked. Then explain that some sectors still have to remain closed for at least ten days.
Because why are the shops allowed to open again, but museums and cinemas remain closed? Why can students go to school but not to the pub? Young people have a relatively hard time, so universities and colleges are open, but a visit to the pub or a concert also helps against lack of contact and depression. Opinions will always remain divided about the cabinet’s choices; No mother’s love or corona press conference will help with that.
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Attention was mainly focused on the first public appearance of the politically completely inexperienced Ernst Kuipers as corona minister. He was already known as a medical interpreter on TV talk shows, but giving a press conference that millions of people watch is another story. His introductory speech, neatly transcribed by his officials, was not particularly impressive. The graphics that were supposed to support his story were too short on screen to really sink in. But when the journalists were allowed to fire their questions, Kuipers was as we know him: a man who can explain with all the patience in the world what is going on and why something should be done the way it should.
After Hugo de Jonge, Ernst Kuipers is a breath of fresh air in that position; someone who is concerned with the business and not with himself.
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