Dreman believes it is a shame that the VVD left the table before talks on the government began. “I don’t think this fits with the campaign that was conducted. I think we agreed that we’re not going to alienate a single voter. And before you have a conversation, you’re alienating 2.5 million voters.”
Dreman is not the only one who thinks this way. The VVD faction in Steenbergen even sent an urgent message. “Many FFP voters voted for FFP to prevent a left-wing victory and to give a chance to a right-wing coalition,” says Tinky Viskens. “That has now been cancelled.”
Yesilgöz announced last Friday that she did not want to join the government with the Freedom Party. She cited the loss of ten seats as the reason. She has said that the VVD, as a tolerant partner, might support a “government of winners.”
“Preferring a right-wing government with the PVV”
RTL Nieuws political correspondent Fons Lampe says the VVD had a clear strategy after the last Rutte government. “It is time for right-wing politics in a right-wing government. Dylan Yeşilgoz did not even exclude Wilders’ Freedom Party, making Wilders suddenly become a potential government party again after years of exclusion.”
But with Wilders winning and the party losing, the party leadership has now chosen tolerance, Lambe says. “In this chess game regarding the formation of the government, the FDP exerted maximum pressure on Wilders and Umzigt. But there is criticism among his supporters. If this move by Yeşilgüz guarantees that the formation of the government will take much longer, or that he may be without a government.” Right-wing, these criticisms may increase further.”
In addition, FFP supporters appear to have less difficulty with the FFP. “All kinds of polls and research show that VVD supporters have a strong preference to form a right-wing government with the Party for Freedom.”
“I don’t think the Dutch will benefit from a game of political chess,” says VVD Cranendonck’s Dreyman. “I actually think it pushed people to vote for the Freedom Party, because they didn’t feel like that anymore.”
It does not provide solutions to problems
“This move, however tactical, does not provide solutions to the Dutch’s problems. This is where the party’s priorities should lie.”
VVD Steenbergen’s Feskens agrees. “We don’t often send a big signal. We do our job locally and always support national policy. But with this decision we felt we had to do something about it.”
On the other hand, Annemarie Jorritsma, former head of the VVD, believes that this is a “wise decision” on the part of Yeşilgoz. “I think the voter really wants something different.”
Yeşilgöz did not want to answer questions from RTL News today.
