This news is just out.
Mrs. "hardline" Verdonk (Dutch) was not elected to party leader of the Liberal Conservative VVD. Instead Marc Rutte, the candidate put forward by the VVD hierarchy has been elected by the VVD membership.
This is in my opinion a positive development. Mrs. Verdonk does not have the necessary quality to operate on party leadership level.
Showing posts with label Mark Rutte. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Rutte. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Self defense - best defense
The battle between the contenders for the leadership of the VVD, the liberal-conservative party is getting fiercer and fiercer .
RITA VERDONK
Verdonk is working on sending back criminals from the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean. Antillians are strongly overrepresented in violent crime in the Netherlands. The 22 municipalities with a significant group of Antillians support (Dutch) Verdonk's plan to send back repeat offenders. Last Friday the council of judges warned that this might be against EU treaties. Citizens of the Dutch Antilles are automatically also citizens of The Netherlands, according to the 1954 Statute that shapes the legal relations between the Antilles and The Netherlands. The Dutch Antilles require strict policies against Dutch citizens who come to live on their islands, sending back people who are unemployed or criminal.
MARK RUTTE
In a response contender Mark Rutte is beefing up his law-and-order image. He is pushing for the right to selfdefense of house and shopowner's that are burglarised. Right now it is so that Dutch citizens who use violence against intruders are treated as criminals by the police and the courts. Rutte argues that the state should be on the side of the victims of crime and not on the side of the criminals. His argument was pasted in huge letters on the front page of the right-wing and populist "De Telegraaf" last Friday 21 April.
My take on it is that the leadership of the VVD is afraid that Rita Verdonk is not the right person to lead their party. Verdonk will split the party up. VVD Old-timer Nijpels has said
"I get the feeling that if she becomes the political leader (lijsttrekker), we will have taken on a walking disaster". The article in the "De Telegraaf" is the result of string pulling by VVD strategist to bolster the appeal of Mark Rutte. Verdonk is very popular with right-wing voters.
Still the struggle for the VVD leadership is good for the popularity of the party in the polls. The party is part of the ruling right-wing coalitions whose tight economic and fiscal policies are cauing hardship for parts of the Dutch population. Due to the lack of strong personalities in the political leadership the right wing was losing its popularity as was shown in the red flood rising in the municipal election on 7 March. The battle between Rutte and Verdonk seems to be countering that trend.
Mark Rutte
Rita Verdonk
Self Defense
RITA VERDONK
Verdonk is working on sending back criminals from the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean. Antillians are strongly overrepresented in violent crime in the Netherlands. The 22 municipalities with a significant group of Antillians support (Dutch) Verdonk's plan to send back repeat offenders. Last Friday the council of judges warned that this might be against EU treaties. Citizens of the Dutch Antilles are automatically also citizens of The Netherlands, according to the 1954 Statute that shapes the legal relations between the Antilles and The Netherlands. The Dutch Antilles require strict policies against Dutch citizens who come to live on their islands, sending back people who are unemployed or criminal.
MARK RUTTE
In a response contender Mark Rutte is beefing up his law-and-order image. He is pushing for the right to selfdefense of house and shopowner's that are burglarised. Right now it is so that Dutch citizens who use violence against intruders are treated as criminals by the police and the courts. Rutte argues that the state should be on the side of the victims of crime and not on the side of the criminals. His argument was pasted in huge letters on the front page of the right-wing and populist "De Telegraaf" last Friday 21 April.
My take on it is that the leadership of the VVD is afraid that Rita Verdonk is not the right person to lead their party. Verdonk will split the party up. VVD Old-timer Nijpels has said
"I get the feeling that if she becomes the political leader (lijsttrekker), we will have taken on a walking disaster". The article in the "De Telegraaf" is the result of string pulling by VVD strategist to bolster the appeal of Mark Rutte. Verdonk is very popular with right-wing voters.
Still the struggle for the VVD leadership is good for the popularity of the party in the polls. The party is part of the ruling right-wing coalitions whose tight economic and fiscal policies are cauing hardship for parts of the Dutch population. Due to the lack of strong personalities in the political leadership the right wing was losing its popularity as was shown in the red flood rising in the municipal election on 7 March. The battle between Rutte and Verdonk seems to be countering that trend.
Mark Rutte
Rita Verdonk
Self Defense
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Battle for Dutch Right-wing leadership heats up
The elections in 2007 are getting nearer and battles lines are being drawn.
A few days ago Rita Verdonk of the Liberal-Conservative VVD made her candidacy public for the position of election leader for the 2007 elections (lijsttrekker). The election to become lijsttrekker of the VVD will be held on 31 May and the 40.000 members of the VVD will be able to vote.
The vote contest is between Rita Verdonk, Mark Rutte (English) and Jelleke Veenendaal. Only Verdonk and Mark Rutte are serious candidates. Mark Rutte is the secretary of Education. It is not a position that gives one a clear profile. Verdonk is the hardline minister of Immigration and Intergration. She is a law and order politician, the law is the compass to which she sets her course.
With regards to Immigration and Intergration she has not set her own course, but carries out laws that have been drafted and adopted by Labour politicians. The present immigration laws notably have been drafted (English, third paragraph) by Job Cohen, the present Labour Mayor of Amsterdam. The difference between the Labour politicians and Rita Verdonk is that the latter strictly and narrowly carries out the law, including deporting thousands of asylum seekers.
The clear course that she steers has given her a strong profile and great popularity among that segment of the Dutch population bothered by immigration. She is also very unpopular among people who live in areas not touched by immigration or people who like or benefit from a multicultural society and open borders.
Several of the bosses of the Liberal-Conservative party are coming out against her. She has obviously upset the applecart of the people in charge of the Liberal Conservatives. It seems that her candidacy was a surprise to the old guard of the VVD.
Mrs. Verdonk is trying to positioning herself as a politician "who makes good on her promises". This is clearly a attempt to harvest in the furrow ploughed and sown by Pim Fortuyn. Her promise is credible. It fits her profile. She added to want to "save the Netherlands" from a disastrous Leftist government. This is a fear on the right wing, after the desastrous Municipal elections of March the Seventh which seemed to flow as a red river rising over the low countries.
Mark Rutte responded sharply to the hidden but intended barb against his lack of spine and conviction:
A few days ago Rita Verdonk of the Liberal-Conservative VVD made her candidacy public for the position of election leader for the 2007 elections (lijsttrekker). The election to become lijsttrekker of the VVD will be held on 31 May and the 40.000 members of the VVD will be able to vote.
The vote contest is between Rita Verdonk, Mark Rutte (English) and Jelleke Veenendaal. Only Verdonk and Mark Rutte are serious candidates. Mark Rutte is the secretary of Education. It is not a position that gives one a clear profile. Verdonk is the hardline minister of Immigration and Intergration. She is a law and order politician, the law is the compass to which she sets her course.
With regards to Immigration and Intergration she has not set her own course, but carries out laws that have been drafted and adopted by Labour politicians. The present immigration laws notably have been drafted (English, third paragraph) by Job Cohen, the present Labour Mayor of Amsterdam. The difference between the Labour politicians and Rita Verdonk is that the latter strictly and narrowly carries out the law, including deporting thousands of asylum seekers.
The clear course that she steers has given her a strong profile and great popularity among that segment of the Dutch population bothered by immigration. She is also very unpopular among people who live in areas not touched by immigration or people who like or benefit from a multicultural society and open borders.
Several of the bosses of the Liberal-Conservative party are coming out against her. She has obviously upset the applecart of the people in charge of the Liberal Conservatives. It seems that her candidacy was a surprise to the old guard of the VVD.
Mrs. Verdonk is trying to positioning herself as a politician "who makes good on her promises". This is clearly a attempt to harvest in the furrow ploughed and sown by Pim Fortuyn. Her promise is credible. It fits her profile. She added to want to "save the Netherlands" from a disastrous Leftist government. This is a fear on the right wing, after the desastrous Municipal elections of March the Seventh which seemed to flow as a red river rising over the low countries.
Mark Rutte responded sharply to the hidden but intended barb against his lack of spine and conviction:
It is insulting to the [VVD] members that have to make an informed choice. I am not going to start mudslinging, but it is nonsense and damaging for the VVD.What else could he say?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)