ANPSigrid Kaag on the Binnenhof
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 11:42
Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Sigrid Kaag has not given a single personal interview since the fall of the cabinet. Political reporter Wilma Borgman spoke to her With a view to tomorrow about the atmosphere and cooperation within the cabinet and about her disappointments.
Rutte IV’s formation was the longest formation after the Second World War, at nine months. It took too long, Kaag thinks. “I think there was also a metal fatigue between and within the parties from the previous Rutte III cabinet.”
According to Kaag, the cabinet was not born under a favorable star. “It had taken too long, it was very difficult and in fact we were almost tired and almost exhausted before we started the cabinet. And then of course the war in Ukraine happened very quickly. Sky-high inflation, many big problems…”
A clear vote against
Yet the government has been able to do a lot in a short time, says Kaag. “It’s just that it never really came into the spotlight.” She points to measures regarding the climate, education and purchasing power. “It’s all there, but in the experience of many people it doesn’t come across that way.”
At the Provincial Council elections in March this year, BBB emerged as the great victor. A clear vote against the cabinet, says Kaag. “That is not nice for a sitting coalition, but you have to relate to it. At the same time, we have made very conscious choices. When it comes to nitrogen, about tackling climate change. You also have to dare to express that.”
Trust is under heavy pressure
The cabinet appeared divided. CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra put the relations on edge by stating in an interview that achieving the nitrogen targets in 2030 was not sacrosanct as far as he was concerned. According to Kaag, this led to great confusion. In addition, there were conflicting statements about ‘pressing the pause button’ or accelerating the measures. This undermined confidence within the coalition, says Kaag.
“We saw that the coalition was being put under pressure by one of the top people from that coalition. A coalition in which the atmosphere was: we just have to wait and see how long this club can last.”
Tough period
The cabinet finally fell on the asylum file last summer. That shouldn’t have been necessary, Kaag believes. “We could well have come out of it, because at a certain point it is a matter of political will whether we can still succeed. As far as we are concerned, the fall was not necessary, precisely because everyone had put a lot of effort into a solid package to arrive.”
On a personal level, the Rutte IV cabinet was mainly a period of intensive cooperation for Kaag, “sometimes against the odds”. It was a difficult period for her family, she thinks. But she is also disappointed herself.
“When I returned to the Netherlands I never expected that demonization and dehumanization are the order of the day in politics.”
Verruwing
According to Kaag, it has to do with “a coarsening, a lack of tolerance, but also with not seeing your fellow man as human unless it suits you. And that is the nail in the coffin of a tolerant inclusive society.”
Kaag would like to work abroad again, but first ‘float’ for a while. “I look forward to a different form of freedom, I look forward to having a new passion, to fulfilling different roles.”
The most important thing for Kaag are her children. “Whether they can flourish and find their way. As a mother, I find that very important. And then see what else I can contribute to a better world.”
2023-12-16 10:42:28
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