Transparency in government angers Socialists, PVV

The SP and PVV is firmly opposed to the VVD, PvdA and D66's demand that all parliamentary parties disclose their financial activities over the past years. This is according to the Volkskrant, based on four separate anonymous sources.

This involves an amount of 23 million euros annually divided between all factions which should be used to keep the faction running, such as for paying staff and activities to support the faction. A regular discussion arises about whether the money is really used for the faction, or is it also secretly used for campaigning. To avoid further speculation a decision was made earlier that all faction costs from 2014 would be published in June 2016.

The coalition parties, supported by the D66, is now pursuing the matter further by demanding that the costs for 2012 and 2013 should also be published. Four sources independently told the newspaper that the PVV and the SP are being uncooperative. A fifth source, Norbert Klein of the Klein-faction said that the PVV is refusing. Both parties refused to comment on the matter to the Volkskrant.

Following the article in the Volkskrant this morning, SP party leader Emile Roemer announced that his party will be laving the Presidium, the daily administration of the Tweede Kamer (lower house of parliament), for the time being, NOS reports. Roemer is furious about the suggestion that the SP has something to hide. According to him it is "a diversion from other parties in order to cover up their own miseries" because of the looming elections. "Then you'll obviously leak lies from secret meetings.

Roemer thinks that the meetings of the Presidium should be publicly accessible from now on. "Then everyone can join us and everyone will know the truth." And until that has been done,  his party will no longer attend. PVV leader Geert Wilders also wants the meetings to be public, but his party will remain in the Presidium.