Opinion | FIRTS THE FIXH OF GREENLINKS AND PvdA: unnecessary

It seemed so simple for the biggest opposition party: to show a bit of unity opposite the chaos of the fallen government government. Not so. While last week the straw fire continued to flare up within the radical-right coalition, the social-democrats of Red Vooruit saw that under the auspices of short-lived PvdA leader Ad Melkert against the merger of PvdA and GroenLinks, their chance to threaten again with an internal crack. If the members decide to merge, then there is a new Labor Party the next day,  » warned Reshma Roopram, former PvdA alderman in Barendrecht, five days after the fall of the cabinet at a meeting of Red Vooruit. The fifty attendees, largely Social Democrats with more past than the future in politics, responded according to NRC Enthusiastic.

Afterwards, Melkert was shocked. He called this newspaper to provide the threat of a notarial explanation. There is no concrete plan ready, he swore. Roopram hurriedly sent her kindred spirits from the car a voicemail in which she emphasized that only a new party is standing up if the social-democratic principles are not guaranteed.

Control error? Maybe. But at most in terms of shape. Red Vooruit has been going on barriers to cooperation for months. Most of the motions that Melkert CS submitted for the PvdA congress next Saturday are focused on this. « Vision instead of merger » is called that strategy.

The break in the radical-right coalition has not changed that. Red -head keeps turning Against « bundling support on the left » and trust a « gangboard to voters in the middle and on the right ». Former alderman Rob Oudkerk said two days after Wilders’ departure at one of the many television programs of De Telegraaf: « Go and put that merger in the refrigerator. » And a day later set ex-chamber chairman Gerdi Verbeet at Café Kockelmannone of the other outlets of De Telegraaf: “I expected, with this fall from the cabinet, that they merger on hold would put. (…) I feel that you are planning your move on the day you are calculated. That is not handy. « 

Red Vooruit is fooled by letter rhyme and imagery, but the metaphor of Verbeet was hit. Considered by enthusiasm about the interim elections, the boards of both parties suddenly unexpectedly decided last week. On Friday, the more than one hundred thousand members of PvdA and GroenLinks (together they become by far the largest party in the Netherlands) received a ballot for an internal referendum. Free to General De Gaulle – the Savior of Democracy in France who loved referenda because you could win it easier than parliamentary elections – the members were allowed to answer no fewer than two questions for the decisive members’ meetings of 21 June: one about a joint list of candidates and program, and one about the merger as an organizational final piece.

Why that acceleration? Unlike at the time of De Gaulle, who stood with his back against the wall, that one week before the left -wing collaboration is not crucial at all. So far, four fifth of the members supports the road to merger. Red Vooruit has not become a power factor. The initiative group has been crumbled, the meetings are gradually visited and Melkert or Oudkerk would have its own DS’25 Get the electoral threshold.

Why then reduce the congresses to a campaign event and do not give the members the full pound? After all, there are doubts about the pace within the PvdA (not about the direction). Think of former party chairman Max van den Berg and kindred spirits.

Although congresses do not buy fighter jets, such as PvdA minister Henk Vredeling once held up a rebellious members’ meeting, but with their tying sales, the boards of PvdA and GroenLinks have unnecessarily taxed the internal party democracy. A false start.

Hubert Smeets is a journalist and historian. He writes a column every other week at this place.

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