What does NRC think | Minister Faber is getting away with a blunder again

Where to start in recent days in the cabinet and room? Those who still had faith in national politics can only have looked at the umpteenth moment when it was not about the housing shortage, the GP deficiency, the power shortage, the cell shortage.

Not about geopolitical issues, the American import duties, Russian GPS disruptions, Defense. Not about nitrogen, drinking water, air quality. Neither on flow tests, waiting lists, disappearing public transport, the higher own care contribution, exploitation of labor migrants. Shaming scenes during council meetings about the arrival of asylum seekers’ centers, in which local politicians are threatened. The collapse of the social law. The Spring Memorandum.

A bright spot was that a day in the Lower House could be debated about a fundamental issue such as the unity of cabinet policy. After all, a core value in the state system, a principle laid down in the Constitution. And at the same time it is sad that it had to come to that. Unity of cabinet policy should be a matter of course.

Even more sad is the reason for the debate, the refusal of Minister Marjolein Faber (asylum and migration, PVV) to sign the Royal Decree with which five volunteers who are committed to refugees would get an award.

Someone who has experienced how decorated people are surprised, find their years of and disinterested commitment to the composition of course, and beaming that someone has seen it and nominated them for a ribbon, would never call this ‘conflicting’ with any policy. As the coalition agreement states: « It is the conviction of this cabinet that the government must cherish and drive the power in society. »

It remains complicated that Faber did not want to say that she should have put her signature, nor that she will do that next time. Just as Prime Minister’s statement is complicated. It was decided not to discuss the issue in the Council of Ministers, as prescribed the Regulations on the Order of the Netherlands Lion and the Order of Oranje-Nassau, but to agree in Klein Committee that he and the Minister of the Interior sign the Royal Decree and present it to the King. A discussion within the cabinet is prevented.

With that, Minister Faber gets away again with a misunderstanding, after an accumulation of blunders and issues. This minister leans on her hard image and harsh words, on a misplaced stubbornness that restrain her to adopt advice from, among others, the Council of State, and now even the chapter of the civil orders. Actual, feasible legislation has given way to symbol politics. And no, that is not the fault of the media, as the prime minister seemed to suggest.

Prime Minister shifted – with the help of the four group chairmen of the coalition parties – this time skillfully through the debate. But it is clear that he does not control the other cabinet members. That gives birth to all those topics that it has not been about in recent days.

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