Comments on: Hirsi Ali’s shadow brings down Dutch cabinet

By: Guy

Guy — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:58:38 +0000

A = Guy

By: A

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 21:57:33 +0000

Jasper travels where I would have liked to travel but did not because of lack of time…

I also thank the other commenters for their input. Many pairs of eyes can see more than one and can complement an incomplete picture. Cool.

By: jasper emmering

jasper emmering — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:17:14 +0000

Warning: tinfoil hat alert.

The timing of the affair is not inconvenient for the CDA and VVD.

By forming Balkenende III and holding elections in November (instead of becoming demissionair and having elections within 3 months, or finishing the full term and having elections in May 2007) the CDA and VVD can present a sugar-coated budget in September, get free media-attention because of it and have elections immediately afterwards.

CDA and VVD may even prefer this to the original scenario (present a sugar-coated budget, share the limelight with D66, only get elections 7 months afterwards).

“Standing by” Rita Verdonk is pretty easy this way. I think the LPF has already been invited to join Balkenende IV.

By: eulogist

eulogist — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:07:39 +0000

Guy’s description of the events is fair and balanced. However, I am not sure I agree with the last commenter that emotions predominated in the events. Perhaps they did for the minister in question, as she seems the kind of person that is totally unable to deal with criticism or to admit she made a mistake even in the face of the most blatant evidence. Worse even than that, from a moral viewpoint, is the abuse of power shown by her demand that Ms Hirsi Ali took all the blame and even apologised before she was given her passport back. Well, that, and the blatant disrespect she showed for Parliament throughout the debates (re her unwillingness to answer questions, her lies and distortions of the truth). On the other hand, the “this lady is not for turning” image is very much her trademark so she almost had to act as she did.

All the other actors, especially her own VVD party and the liberal D66, also behaved rationally and in their own interest. VVD had to back Verdonk as they can not afford to lose her voters. And D66 had no choice to drop Verdonk, as that is clearly a strong wish of their own voters.

You could argue though, that the whole debate in Parliament should have been about the Dutch immigration laws as such and its immoral results, instead of this particular case. I think it should have. Then again, I’m afraid the majority in parliament (including the social-democrats) is happy with (most of) the laws as they are.

By: Taciturn

Taciturn — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 16:59:41 +0000

Guy La Roche gives an honnest description of the events of a strange political night.
The events themself do not explain the outcome. The unshakable views of Verdonk gave her the airs of an ‘Pim Fortuijn’. That has evoked a lot of admiration with many. But she has the same tendency (as Fortuijn) to feel belittled. That made her very unyielding and uncompromising. And that gave cause for a lot of irritation.
One slip of the tongue from the Prime Minister Balkenende (defending Verdonk) and the sequence of events unrolled.
But at the same time it means a demasque of (Dutch) politics that sentiments have the overtone, and not content.

By: Huib, Brussels

Huib, Brussels — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 06:17:19 +0000

It is a correct description of a surrealistic story.