Timmermans and Jetten against a right-wing majority that has the wind at its back

Would they have also watched the debate on SBS6? One today? So it is possible, a sharp, substantive and yet smooth debate without people shouting at each other, insulting each other or being rendered hopeless in advance by poorly selected ‘ordinary people from the audience’.

Moreover, on important themes, although in the block on housing it became clear once again that that is not where the difference will be made in these elections. Whichever cabinet the country gets: it will, just like the previous one, make every effort to boost construction.

The greater the differences are in the immigration and climate debate. And unintentionally, the six participants tonight probably gave an adequate picture of the political balance of power in 2023: The majority of Yesilgöz, Omtzigt, Wilders and Van der Plas are in favor of a much stricter immigration policy on all fronts. The minority, represented tonight by Timmermans and Jetten, also wants more control over immigration, but continues to emphasize that the Netherlands must remain a hospitable country for people on the run, a country that also needs migrant workers to keep the economy running.

In the climate debate, the proportions are exactly the same: Timmermans and Jetten want to raise their ambitions and make the Netherlands a leading green economy, the other four mainly see the practical objections and costs that many ‘ordinary Dutch people’ face if they make their homes more sustainable. have to make and drive electrically.

And while they weren’t mentioned by name, the polls played a major role in the background. Timmermans and Jetten know that the right has the upper hand in the country and both warned again that a right-wing cabinet can only be prevented by making a non-right party the largest. “Vote for the middle,” Jetten called on his voters. Timmermans thought that was ‘a great encouragement to vote for GroenLinks-PvdA’.

Together they would be easily the largest in all polls, but progressive cooperation has not yet progressed that far.

Raoul du Pre