Van Strien resigned after fraud accusations against him. And he is by no means the first PVV member to be discredited. According to political historian and university lecturer Koen Vossen, the problem of politicians with hidden flaws often plays a role in new political parties.
“Existing parties have had the opportunity to separate the wheat from the chaff for longer,” says Vossen. “Over time they have also had will-o’-the-wisps, but you filter them out and the rest can gain managerial experience.”
Wilders is the boss
Nevertheless, the historian expects that it will become a greater challenge for the PVV to find suitable candidates for possible ministerial positions. “The party is small and closed,” explains Vossen, who previously researched populism and wrote several books about Geert Wilders.
“Wilders has been the boss so far and he wants to maintain control,” Vossen continues. “The pond from which the party is fishing is therefore small. The PVV has so many voters, but there are few active members. And those people are not even real members, because you cannot just become a member of the PVV.”
According to the historian, there are an estimated 200 to 250 PVV members active. “Municipal council members, provincial and faction employees,” Vossen sums up. “It’s a small circle and it’s always the same people on the list.”
Moreover, the party also has little money. “The PVV is not a membership party and therefore does not receive a subsidy. The budget is small, too small to pay for good screening.” While all political parties, but certainly a party like the PVV, would benefit greatly from a thorough screening of candidates.
Risk factors
Hoffmann Security is one of the government-approved companies that carry out so-called integrity checks for political parties. “We need to have a justification for conducting research by looking at the risk factors,” says Martijn van Beek of Hoffmann Security. “Is there a possible case of financial vulnerability? Are there BKR registrations?”
As much information as possible is collected for a complete picture. “We check public sources and the AIVD also screens ministers. They can consult non-public sources.”
The researchers also interview a party candidate. “We prefer an interview at the home of the candidate in question. Then you can see more about the lifestyle and you can estimate whether it is in proportion to the current income. Everything to better determine whether someone is suitable as the face of a party. “
“During the conversation we discuss details and other questions we have,” Van Beek continues. It may happen that people still conceal relevant events. “If someone tries their best not to say things, and we can’t find a thread to start a conversation about, then people are of course capable of not saying anything on their own.” If a candidate seems to be in order, the researchers finally talk to the referees that a candidate has specified.
Lack of staff
According to historian Vossen, Van Strien went wrong somewhere in the screening process. “People have not told the truth or have concealed part of the truth,” says Vossen. “At the same time, it is also difficult to know everything about someone.”
In this specific case, the lack of staff also plays a role, says Vossen. “There are simply relatively few people in the party who are concerned with screening. This is therefore probably not the last incident. We have to wait for the next integrity issue, quarrel between board members or quarrel about the course and ideology.”
2023-11-28 16:55:28
#exciting #PVV #deliver #ministers
