Dutch PM blindsided by Deputy PM’s headscarf tweet during Parliament debate

Chaos nearly derailed the political debate between new Prime Minister Dick Schoof and his first Cabinet on one side, and Members of Parliament in the Tweede Kamer on the other side. The heated debate flared up dramatically when Deputy Prime Minister Fleur Agema, the PVV politician leading the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, sent out a tweet likening her discomfort with women wearing headscarves with an editorial written by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema roughly 15 years ago.

This tweet was sent out as Schoof himself had been arguing that his Cabinet speaks with one voice, and that collectively the ministers and state secretaries agree that everyone in the Netherlands is free to be who they are, regardless of their faith or their decision to wear a headscarf. Schoof repeated the point explicitly time and time again on Thursday in defense of his Cabinet members who made controversial statements on racism, freedom of religion, and conspiracy theories about immigrants sent to replace white European populations.

Ministers should not tweet during debates, Schoof said after the debate was halted so he could confer with his four deputy prime ministers. Agema also agreed with this statement, Schoof said after the meeting.

Opposition parties were furious about the tweet, saying it was an insult to the prime minister himself, and his office. “In the prime minister’s first major debate, his authority was undermined by Wilders and later Agema,” said D66 leader Rob Jetten.

In doing so, he also referred to an earlier sharp critique during the debate that PVV leader Geert Wilders hurled at the prime minister.

Wilders, whose PVV is the largest coalition party, said Schoof’s words were “hollow phrases” with regard to setting standards in the Cabinet. The prime minister has “started an impossible task and is allowing himself to be insulted in front of you,” the parliamentarian believes.

Mirjam Bikker of ChristenUnie said she stood at the interruption microphone “with a feeling of shame.” Schoof stated that he was touched by these words. It is customary for a Cabinet to radiate unity to the outside world. The prime minister said he found that important and therefore wanted to have a “good conversation” about the behavior of his ministers on social media.

The debate was suspended at 3:45 p.m. after disagreement arose due to Agema’s new tweet. Initially, the impression was given that this would last a few minutes, but the consultation eventually lasted half an hour.

The commotion was a follow-up to the arguments that happened in the morning about derogatory statements of PVV ministers Agema and Marjolein Faber about head scarves. MP Esmah Lahlah of GroenLinks-PvdA used the opportunity to encourage other women who wear headscarves in the debate.

Mayor Halsema supported this via Instagram. While Schoof was debating, Agema then published a tweet in which she confronted Halsema with an article written years ago. In it, the left-wing politician said she had difficulty with the headscarf.

Laurens Dassen of the Volt party called it “irresponsible behavior.” He also called it insulting and uncooperative by Agema. Some faction leaders want Agema to delete the tweet.

Wilders also lashed out at VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz during the debate. The PVV leader said Yeşilgöz made a “false, dirty accusation” claiming he was behind Agema’s controversial tweet. Later in the debate, he angrily attacked CDA leader Henri Bontenbal for a similar accusation.

A large part of the opposition made it clear that they were not satisfied with Schoof’s repeated assurances about his Cabinet. Agema also said she will no longer tweet “during deliberations,” according to Schoof.

Yeşilgöz also reacted strongly to that. “I expect a responsible attitude from people with a leading role, in the Tweede Kamer and there,” said the VVD leader, pointing to the section where the ministers were seated. “I want to ask the prime minister to address his ministers on this.” But members of the Tweede Kamer must also prevent “people from constantly being at odds with each other,” she said. “That applies to Mr. Wilders, who is undoubtedly behind Ms. Agema’s tweet.” As far as she is concerned, more is needed than simply staying off social media during debates.

Wilders began talking over her off-microphone, as had happened earlier during the debate with coalition partners. He then made a “personal statement” at the microphone designated for interruptions in which he opposed Yeşilgöz’s words and denied being behind the tweet.

Later in the debate, Wilders was enraged with Bontenbal. “This is really too disgusting for words. How dare you, as a so-called decent politician, get it into your head to accuse me of having it on my desk already.” The PVV member said that he only heard about the tweet when it was brought up in the debate. He then had a printout made of it. Bontenbal then retracted his words and apologized.