The Hague plans: how politics will fight the next pandemic

Already one year everything revolves around the corona crisis and will remain so for a while, not least for political The Hague. Nevertheless, in the meantime, parties are also preparing for the next virus outbreak, if you are to believe the election programs. Almost all thirteen incumbent parties say they want to learn lessons from this crisis in order to better combat the next pandemic.

Most of the attention is devoted to combating the consequences of an outbreak. Politics has not forgotten the chaotic scenes of spring around protective equipment. Not surprising, because a series of parliamentary debates at that time focused on mouth masks, gloves and aprons for care workers. Later, the bickering about test liquid and test cotton swabs were added.

Scams and extortionate prices

Never again, is the idea. Many parties want to create a “strategic reserve”, “emergency capacity” or “iron stock” of resources. Opinions differ on who has to collect the items. The PVV wants to keep the stocks in the Netherlands, so that we do not have to “go for such important stuff on an international market of scams and extortionate prices”. VVD and SP, among others, are also aiming to fill the domestic warehouses. The EU-oriented parties D66 and GroenLinks see more in European purchasing.

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