Wilders modows his tone over the full prisons, and the House of Representatives is not yet coming out

The left side of the large debate hall, with left parties, looks at the right. And vice versa. You see MPs making movements with their mouths: they are counting. Who is not there? How many are there? It depends on it on Tuesday afternoon at the votes about motions and laws. The motion that everyone is waiting for is from BBB and is about the crowded prisons. BBB does not want PVV State Secretary for Justice Ingrid Coenradie to do what she is planning: prisoners release two weeks earlier. Coenradies own PVV is also strong against that. And the VVD.

The mood is jointly and severally, the names are read one by one. Then ‘for’ or ‘against’ sounds. And until the last minute it is exciting, PVV leader Geert Wilders had also said: I don’t know how it ends.

But there is no outcome, because the voices stopped, as happened much more often in recent weeks: 74 against 74. Two MPs missed, one of GroenLinks-PvdA and one of the PVV. It would not have decided for the result: it would have been 75-75.

And although it doesn’t seem to matter: next week it will vote again. That’s how the rules are.

Row

The PVV had let it go high. Only behind the scenes: in a consultation by PVV ministers and state secretaries, in February, Wilders had risen against Coenradie, he was furious about her intention to release prisoners who were convicted of less than a year. He would never accept that.

Coenradie, those involved later, was impressed. It had been intense and nobody had taken it up for her. But she was also determined to continue her plan. Because she thought she could not do anything else.

Coenradie is an outsider for the PVV. Before she became a State Secretary, she was a municipal councilor for Leefbaar Rotterdam. She had no experience with the most important rules for PVV people from The Hague: Wilders’ Wil is law.

People are disappointed, they want us to show quickly that something is changing

When the fight leaked, Wilders also said in front of the cameras that no prisoners were released earlier, « no way« His party wants much heavier penalties for criminals.

Coenradie is not the first PVV minister who has problems with its own PVV. Minister Barry Madlener of Infrastructure and Water Management had it with the Fatbike, for which the PVV wants strict rules, he himself. Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister Fleur Agema gets the fiercest opposition of her own Lower House Group in her plans. They suffered in silence.

Coenradie tackled it completely differently. She appeared in the talk show of Eva Jinek and said there that she was going to perform what she was planning, and certainly not thought of getting on. « No way.« 

No more a collapse

But it wouldn’t come that far either. On Tuesday, before the moods, it is already clear that Wilders will no longer make it a collapse. He still finds the early release a bad idea. But he says about five times that he will certainly not submit a motion of no confidence against Coenradie. No matter how the mood turns out and whatever it does with the result. If the House of Representatives would speak against her plan, he would « expect » that she would not do it. « That is the rule. But the cabinet can also decide differently. »

Another text and a completely different tone of Wilders. Just when from a new poll, from EenVandaagit appears that his party sinks further. The PVV, now 37 seats, would come to around 31 seats, the VVD on 28, GroenLinks-Pvda at 27. Wilders explains it himself in front of the cameras as impatience with its voters. He understands, he says. « People are disappointed, they want us to quickly show that something is changing. »

He thinks his voters had wanted measures much faster against asylum and migration. And the groceries are still too expensive, the rents too high. And Wilders is going to do something about that, he promises, during the negotiations about the Spring Memorandum, in which the budget is determined. He calls the polls « a helping hand. » The coalition of PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB will negotiate at the beginning of April.

When the voices about the prisons strike again next week, the motion of BBB will be rejected and it hardly seems to be a problem for the cabinet: then the early release will be released.

To share

Mail the editors