Little support for plan to give Covid-vaccinated people more freedom

The D66 plan to give people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus more freedoms could count on little support during the first election debate on RTL on Sunday. All five other parties that participated in the debate were against the idea, ANP reports.

GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver called it "an extremely bad idea". PVV leader Geert Wilders said he was "completely" against a vaccination certificate. SP leader Lilian Marijnissen worries that it will create a dichotomy in society. CDA leader Wopke Hoekstra was also against.

The closest to support the D66 plan came, was VVD leader and Prime Minister Mark Rutte saying that "perhaps in the slightly longer term" a vaccination passport could be an option, repeating statements he made after discussing this with Europe.

D66 leader Sigrid Kaag called it "not reasonable" for people who have already been vaccinated to have to wait until everyone was vaccinated before they can start doing things again. She also said the government should make rapid testing available on a large scale, so that people who are still waiting their turn for the vaccine can also get more freedom.

The D66 launched its plan for a vaccination certificate during a party conference on Saturday.