ANP extension
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
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Bernice Willemsen
Politics editor
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Bernice Willemsen
Politics editor
At around 5 pm, after a vote of almost 40 motions, the leader of the VVD Rutte was able to breathe a sigh of relief. At the party congress in Rotterdam – this time – there was no unpleasant opposition to Rutte’s course and the fraction of 34 members in the House of Representatives.
A variety of topics were discussed – from nitrogen to the sugar tax – and members of the House of Representatives said they would “get to work” with all kinds of proposals. Three quarters of the members voted front the controversial distribution law and which attracted applause. In short; Rutte can continue with his course for the time being.
It was different at the previous turbulent June 11th party congress. There, the usually fairly loyal members of the VVD threw a spanner in the works of the party leadership in The Hague. A 51% majority. of members passed a motion against the cabinet’s nitrogen plans and thus against their nitrogen minister Christianne van der Wal.
VVD leader Rutte and the rest of the party leadership looked rather bitter as applause rang out in the hall. Once home, Rutte continued to “simmer” about it, he confessed to his supporters this morning. “I thought: What are they thinking? It’s already that hard and then the members will start too.” In retrospect, Rutte thought the endurance was “very good”. “Our diversity is our strength.”
Sorry
The party leadership has worked hard in recent weeks to avert the June debacle. MPs have been deployed in every way to listen carefully to the party’s dissatisfaction. And the program booklet has become modified have skeptical members listen to a speech by Rutte in the morning.
In his speech, Rutte made a “personal commitment” to contain the flow of asylum seekers. In addition, the party leader clearly understands all kinds of concerns, such as the increase in state finances, the approach to nitrogen and the lack of “color in the cheeks”. And he sat in the hall among the members all afternoon.
And a brochure was also produced: the 296 profit points of the Rutte cabinets, for all those who have forgotten what was achieved under Rutte’s 12 years of party leadership.
The loudest applause was for former VVD minister Edith Schippers, who will return to The Hague as party leader for the Senate elections in March. Schippers says yes Not he has the ambition to succeed Rutte, but “I’m not ruling it out”.
Rutte said she was happy to be back. “Whatever your ambitions…”
