The political scene in the Netherlands is about to become very entertaining. Our Dutch correspondent H. Numan has the latest.

Elections in Holland

by H. Numan

On the 15th of March we’re going to vote for provincial governments. Normally, these elections are the most boring and dullest you can imagine. Not this time! These elections will probably decide the fate of the current cabinet. Everybody knows that, and campaigning is lively. Plus, as you can expect, the vilifying of conservative parties and boycotts. Actually, these are the liveliest elections in years.

The reason is our system. We elect the Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber, or House of Representatives), but we don’t elect members of the Eerste Kamer (First Chamber, or Senate). That is so sensitive and complex only members of the provincial governments can vote for them, so we are told. The real reason why we have a Senate is simple. When the Senate was created in 1815, it was to give a disproportionally large voice to the nobility. At that time Belgium and The Netherlands were united. The Dutch part didn’t have much nobility, but the Belgian part did. The king used the Senate to get what he wanted. It was hugely unpopular, especially in the Belgian. The called it ‘le ménagerie du Roi’ (the king’s zoo). After Belgium became independent it didn’t change a lot. Only the wealthiest people were elected to it. Not much has changed over the years…

As in America, a government needs a majority in both Houses. It has a majority by the slimmest of margins in both Houses right now. It’s dead certain the government will lose that majority in the Senate. Both Mark Rutte and Sigrid Al-Qaq* (Sigrid Kaag) are hugely unpopular. It’s difficult to say which one is more hated.

First Mr. Rutte. He’s now the longest-serving premier in the history of the country. To get that distinction he had to compromise in just about everything with Mrs. Al-Qaq and D66 (progressive liberals). So much so that nobody believes he is the premier. Officially, yes. But in reality Al Qaq rules. A coalition government is always a compromise, only in this case Rutte had to compromise in everything, just to get his prize as the longest-serving premier ever. Being the longest-serving — definitely not the most popular — premier means that he is very capable, otherwise he wouldn’t be glued to his chair. He can slither and giggle his way in and out of almost any situation.

Mrs. Al-Qaq is a different story. She was only popular within her party, not nationwide. Her popularity, the little she had, nosedived when she became vice premier and de facto premier. She showed her true colors as a control freak and megalomaniac. The law applies to everyone, but not to her. She blatantly abuses her power and position. For example, she was able to get a full hour-long documentary on prime time TV about herself, before the elections. Free of charge, of course. The lady who arranged this for her became alderman in Amsterdam. She just resigned, to avoid being sacked for incompetence.

There is more, much more. I told you about the childcare benefits scandal. About 2,000 children were taken by childcare to orphanages, thousands of innocent parents are destitute and waiting to be reunited with their children, and for compensation. The previous government collapsed over this scandal, but nothing has been done. The people (= voters) have not forgotten this.

Another issue is an official report about the Groningen natural gas problem. Holland isn’t exactly the first place you think about in relation with earthquakes. After the discovery of natural gas, every government spent the money like there was no tomorrow and sucked Groningen dry. Natural gas is a gas, but that still means it has volume. Many scientists warned years in advance that measures should be taken to prevent earthquakes. Nothing was done. Many tremors have occurred, and many more houses have been seriously damaged. The people are waiting for compensation. The report really slams and condemns the government. The victims have to queue up behind the waiting parents. Both can vote while they wait.

Another report slams the cherished green ideal of heat pump systems. It’s a kind of air conditioning system working the other way around. All green parties love it, especially D66. Probably because they have the most entrepreneurs making money out of it. Air conditioning is expensive; so is this. Not a bit more expensive but many times more expensive than central heating systems. The report concludes that it is not only extremely expensive, but damaging to the environment as well. Which was the reason to start using them. Not only that, but they need electricity, and lots of it. We have a very good electricity network, but it wasn’t designed for heat pumps as a nationwide heating source. We need a lot more power stations, which aren’t there. Green idiots still refuse nuclear power, so the report concluded that heat pumps are expensive, damaging to the environment and cannot function nationwide. People already complained about those heat pumps not working in winter — which is the warmest on record! Guess who those voters are going to vote for.

As usual, all progressive parties are all of a sudden shouting the usual lies: vote for them, they will stop migration! Those lies always worked, so why not now? Because you can’t fool people indefinitely. We have been fooled for generations, and it’s only getting worse. Mohammedan migrants are flooding the country in record numbers, thousands every week. They are housed in hotels and on cruise ships chartered to house them. They get preferential treatment for social housing. D66 launched a campaign ‘Jan and Ingrid got a key (for a house) immediately. Hassan and Aisha did not.’ That campaign wasn’t well received; it really angered many people, especially those that have to wait… 15 to 20 years for a house. Guess what? Those people can vote, too.

It is certain the government is going to lose these elections, and will lose support in the Senate. However, they don’t have to win the elections. They can afford to lose. The way out is work together with the Labor and communist parties (PvdA and GL) in the Senate. However, that is only postponing the inevitable. Everybody can see that clearly. That’s why I assume the government will resign after they lose the elections.

Who can replace them? Difficult to say, because the situation is turbulent. The PVV is doing really well, but so is a newcomer: BBB, the Farmers’ party. At this moment the Farmers’ party leads the polls. Let’s assume they win, by one or two seats, and the government resigns. The leader of the biggest party will automatically be invited to form a new cabinet. That would be Caroline van der Plas. I don’t know if a newcomer in politics will become prime minister over the oldest member of parliament, which is Geert Wilders. Yes, he’s one of the longest-serving parliamentarians. It’s a race between the two. Other conservative parties are doing well, but not in double digits.

As the old Chinese curse goes: “May you live in interesting times”. Well, we most certainly do!

— H. Numan

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