Start of the parliamentary year with Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) and Joost Eerdmans (JA21)

In keeping with tradition, the Machiavelli Foundation marked the opening of the political year at Press Centre Nieuwspoort in The Hague. This year, parliamentary group leaders Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) and Joost Eerdmans (JA21) looked ahead to the new political year. The discussion was moderated by Fons Lambie (RTL Nieuws) and Remco Meijer (de Volkskrant).

The central question was how the minority government should secure parliamentary majorities in the period ahead. Eerdmans strongly criticised the government’s decision to approach opposition parties on both the left and the right during the budget negotiations. In his view, the coalition should have made a clearer choice from the outset between pursuing a left-wing or right-wing course. He described the minority government’s current approach as “naive and arrogant”.

Brekelmans defended the strategy of seeking different majorities on different issues. By reaching agreements with a range of parties, he argued, a minority government can deliver outcomes with broad support and may even achieve more than a majority government. He also pointed out that, for example, there is no economically right-wing majority in favour of cuts to social security. Nor did he rule out cooperation with PRO, provided the party adopts a constructive approach.

Both parliamentary group leaders also reflected on the state of political culture. Brekelmans called on both the coalition and the opposition to take responsibility at a time of global uncertainty, when people expect tangible results. Referring to Bismarck and Machiavelli, he argued for politics that is less driven by the issue of the day: political developments should not become “daily football scores”. In his view, building parliamentary majorities requires a calm, considered and human approach.

Eerdmans likewise called for greater level-headedness and less outrage and anger in politics. While anger may have a place, he argued that it does not solve problems in itself. He also advocated closer cooperation between right-wing parties. At the same time, he criticised the VVD, arguing that the fragmentation of the political right is partly the result of the party’s failure to deliver sufficiently right-wing policies in recent years.

Despite their differing views on the government’s course, both Brekelmans and Eerdmans ultimately called on politicians to take a longer-term perspective, accept responsibility and resist being swept along by the political frenzy of the day.

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