Party leaders attack each other on asylum distribution law and livelihoods in TV debate

At the start of the “Debate of the South”, which was organized and broadcast by Omroep Zeeland, Omroep Brabant, and L1, the party leaders attacked each other fiercely throughout the televised debate on the issues of livelihood and the asylum distribution law, RTL Nieuws reported. For instance, SP leader Lilian Marijnissen directly attacked VVD list leader Dilan Yeşilgöz on the issue of poverty policy. The Cabinet even has a minister for poverty policy, while corporate profits are high, sighed the socialist. "That's how sad it is," Marijnissen said.

Lilian Marijnissen opent het #debatzuiden met een aanval naar Dilan Yeşilgöz over bestaandzekerheid. pic.twitter.com/qKXGelhFVd

— Omroep Brabant (@omroepbrabant) November 18, 2023

Other party leaders are also targeting Yeşilgöz. She has a "kilo of butter on her head", said PVV leader Geert Wilders. "We are the richest country in the world, but we spend it on the wrong things. Mrs. Yeşilgöz has that on her conscience."

D66 leader Rob Jetten said Yeşilgöz was working against undermining crime, but "you are undermining the economy of the South", he accused the VVD politician. "You are cutting 1 billion euros from education." He also accused her of the VVD increasing the burden on working Dutch people. The VVD leader rejected this.

CDA leader Henri Bontenbal replied that he wanted to tell his own story. He wants less tax on work and more on wealth.

Furthermore, Esther Ouwehand, chairwoman of the Party for the Animals, underlined her own plans to increase the minimum wage.

Overall, Securing a livelihood is above all the issue addressed by GreenLeft-PvdA and the New Social Contract (NSC).

Fierce attacks over asylum distribution law

During the televised election debate, D66 and CDA sharply attacked the parties that voted against the distribution law, namely VVD, PVV, and BBB. VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz in particular was criticized by her former coalition colleagues.

The parties voted against the law, which allows them to force the municipalities to take in asylum seekers if necessary. "In doing so, they have let the border region down," said the chairman of the D66, Rob Jetten. The provinces in the region in particular are now relatively responsible for the reception of asylum seekers.

"If you dare to take responsibility and if you have courage, then you also dare to defend the distribution law," said CDA leader Henri Bontenbal. For him, this is part of an honest policy. He called it a "political trick" that BBB chairwoman Caroline van der Plas linked the distribution law to the number of asylum seekers coming to the Netherlands. However, the Christian Democrat also aimed Yeşilgöz because her party had voted against her own state secretary's law in the Tweede Kamer: "I blame the VVD for not daring to do that."

The leaders of the two center parties had little patience for Yeşilgöz's defense. She emphasized that there were many measures to limit the influx, within the framework of European regulations. "You don't have to destroy the country by 'closing the borders', you don't have to close your eyes to the problems. You can simply act," the Liberal said.

"There was a package that you said no to," Jetten added. Bontenbal agreed with him: "You could have sorted that out. An exit was simply chosen quickly to pull the plug on the Cabinet." Jetten found the VVD's explanation "really cheap", Bontenbal called it "implausible".

Agreement on the disappearance of facilities from the region

The party leaders agreed that national policy has made mistakes that have led to too many bus routes, doctors' surgeries, and other important facilities disappearing from the region. From left to right, the seven party leaders in the TV debate were calling for more investment to be made in the regions again.

Lilian Marijnissen (SP) said that far too much has been left to the market. CDA member Henri Bontenbal emphasized that police capacities, for example, should also be better distributed. Esther Ouwehand from the Party for the Animals believes that people in the region also suffer health problems as a result of the policy, for example from polluting companies.

BBB leader Caroline van der Plas lashed out at other parties when it came to investing in better lives in rural areas. VVD, D66, and CDA have been in the Cabinet in recent years and are therefore responsible for policy, according to Van der Plas. The SP has never participated in government and, according to the BBB leader, is therefore running away from its responsibility. Van der Plas was met with scorn from other parties for her lashing out.

Rob Jetten begrijpt de keuze die Brabant heeft gemaakt over strengere Brabantse stikstofregels voor stallen. Caroline van der Plas reageert: "Hier wordt opnieuw de landbouwsector tegenover de woningbouw gezet" #debatzuiden pic.twitter.com/JyTKT1mOzJ

— Omroep Brabant (@omroepbrabant) November 18, 2023

Overall, BBB chairwoman Caroline van der Plas was tough on the other parties when it came to investing in a better life in the countryside. VVD, D66, and CDA have been in the Cabinet in recent years and therefore responsible for policy, according to Van der Plas. The SP had never been in the Cabinet and was therefore running away from its responsibility, said the BBB leader. However, Van der Plas received a lot of ridicule from the other parties for her outbursts.