Far-right FvD announces unusual temporary changes to its parliamentarians

Far-right political party Forum voor Democratie (Fvd) announced a remarkable game of musical chairs in the Tweede Kamer on Monday. Pepijn van Houwelingen, who was not re-elected to serve in the lower house of Parliament during the November elections, will take the place of the elected Member of Parliament Freek Jansen in the coming months.

Jansen will step aside in favor of Van Houwelingen for six months, so that Van Houwelingen can help prepare the coronavirus parliamentary inquiry. After those six months, Jansen will again return to his seat in the Tweede Kamer, the party announced on Monday evening on YouTube channel Forum Inside.

It is unusual for an MP to be replaced by a fellow someone else on their party's list of candidates for non-medical reasons, like illness, burnout or maternity leave or parental leave. It is possible, reports the website Parlement.com. "A party can mutually agree that the 'successor' will make way for the person he replaces after a time."

Van Houwelingen was in fourth position on the FvD's list of candidates. Thierry Baudet's party won three seats on November 22.

At the end of 2021, the Tweede Kamer unanimously approved a parliamentary inquiry into the approach to the coronavirus crisis. However, the research proposal from a temporary preparatory committee did not gather enough support from the Tweede kamer, making it appear that the proposal would no longer be conducted. Then, in mid-December, a majority in Parliament voted in favor of a motion by the PVV to start a parliamentary inquiry.

Van Houwelingen also sat on that temporary preparatory committee. FvD downplayed coronavirus and was strongly against the measures that the Cabinet implemented. The party downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic, and said the measures were too restrictive of personal freedom. The party was particularly critical of the curfew and the coronavirus access pass system.