ANP Productions | Source: ANP
Today at 12:27
Groningen
Representatives in Groningen want to keep control over the spending of the earthquake billions, but the way in which they organize this so far has met with criticism in the Provincial Council. The Regional Council of States and council members on “democratic anchoring” in the design of a ‘New Beginning’ after the gas extraction woes is currently meeting in private, but according to a majority in the Provincial Council, this should be more transparent.
The council currently consists of members of the ten Groningen municipal councils and Provincial Council and was formally established on Wednesday with the unanimous adoption of a joint arrangement. In principle, it is not about the content of the plans for spending the 22 billion euros of government money that will become available over the next thirty years to repay the ‘debt of honor’ to the people of Groningen. The consultation must above all prevent “chaos and fragmentation” by radiating unity as a representative body and exploring and preparing matters, according to Groningen BBB faction leader Gouke Moes.
He is one of the driving forces behind the Regional Council, in which he sits together with GroenLinks colleague Stephanie Bennett. They expect that the three North Drenthe earthquake municipalities and possibly also the water boards will soon join.
Nothing secret about it
It would then also have to be decided to have the meetings take place publicly, which a majority of States voted in favor of on Wednesday. There is nothing secret about the regional council, according to Moes, but he believes that secrecy can be useful if you can spar freely. For example, with invited administrators such as State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief (Mining) or the appointed ‘quartermasters’ for the social and economic agenda for the coming years.
The regional council was partly inspired by dissatisfaction with the Groningen National Program (NPG), which has been trying to promote broad prosperity in Groningen for five years with a starting capital of 1.15 billion euros from the government. According to provincial politics, the NPG board wrongly sets conditions and there is a lack of democratic control. It is widely shared in the North that this must be different when spending the Nij Begun billions. ‘Gas representative’ Susan Top pointed out the importance that the input from councils and states is optimally taken into account in the plans and promised to provide them with the best possible information.
