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Dutch vote in provincial elections after shooting horror
THE HAGUE, March 20, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Dutch voters on Wednesday headed to
provincial polls billed as a referendum on Prime Minister Mark Rutte, after a
campaign overshadowed by a possible terror attack on a tram.
Hardline right-wing parties pushed the issue of integration into the
foreground as the country reeled from Monday’s shooting in the city of
Utrecht for which a Turkish-born man and one other person have been arrested.
Rutte’s coalition, led by his centre-right VVD party, looks set to lose
its one-seat majority in the Dutch upper house of parliament, according to
final opinion polls. That would leave it needing ‘kingmaker’ parties to push
through new laws.
The Dutch ballot, in which 13 million people are eligible to vote, will be
widely watched abroad as a bellwether for European Parliament elections in
May in which populist parties are expected to make broad gains.
Following the Utrecht attack, almost all political parties halted
campaigning for the elections — which are for provincial bodies but
determine the composition of the Dutch senate or upper house of parliament.
Only the populist, anti-EU Forum for Democracy (FvD), led by Thierry
Baudet, continued with a rally in the Hague’s seaside suburb of Scheveningen,
which drew sharp criticism from lawmakers.
The young and telegenic Baudet accused Rutte’s government of “naive”
immigration policies and told the crowd that a “change of course is needed,
otherwise this is going to happen more often in the Netherlands”.
– Rutte referendum –
The head of Dutch socialist party has called the vote a “Rutte
referendum”, although Rutte has said he will not step down if his coalition
loses its majority and therefore needs help to drive through laws.
Rutte has been in power for eight years, and after playing a key role in
Brexit negotiations has widely been tipped to take up a top EU post in
Brussels when the current set-up led by Jean-Claude Juncker steps down later
this year.
Dutch newspapers predicted that GroenLinks — the leftist ecological party
led by Jesse Klaver, a politician best known abroad for his strong
resemblance to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — was set to make
gains and become a potential senate kingmaker.
Meanwhile, Baudet’s party could threaten the anti-Islam Freedom Party of
bleached blonde far-right leader Geert Wilders, which has traditionally
attracted hardliners in the Netherlands.
But in a development that would be watched with alarm across Europe ahead
of the European elections, the two hardline Dutch parties could together form
the second biggest block in the senate.
The Utrecht attack and the arrest of the Turkish suspect proved the
perfect fodder for both parties.
– ‘Disgusting’ –
Baudet’s refusal to stop campaigning on Monday drew bitter condemnation
from various MPs including Rob Jetten, leader of the left-leaning progressive
D66 party — a partner in Rutte’s coalition — calling the action
“disgusting.”
Baudet, known for his controversial statements such as “women in general
excel less in jobs and have less ambition”, defended his actions, telling
reporters that “many of the reactions seemed a bit put-on and don’t seem
genuine.”
Often seen as relatively minor compared to general elections for the lower
house of parliament, which last took place in 2017, the Dutch provincial
elections are still significant.
Voters can elect some 570 representatives to the country’s 12 provinces,
who will in turn decide on May 27 who sits in the 75-seat Dutch upper house.
Previously seen as something of a rubber-stamp body, the Dutch Senate in
recent years has become a political battleground as it has the final say
whether to pass laws formulated by MPs in the lower house.
Polls say Rutte’s coalition partners — D66 and the Christian Democrats
(CDA) — could drop as much as 10 seats.
Losing the majority would mean the coalition having to find other
opposition partners to get laws passed, opening the door to potential king-
maker roles.
Turnout for provincial polls is traditionally low, standing at 56 percent
in 2011 and almost 48 percent in 2015 as opposed to national elections in
2017, with a turnout of 82 percent.
BSS/AFP/RY/1815 hrs