The Elderly Distantiate 50Plus

Although the 50Plus party is doing well in polls, the unions of the elderly claim to be critical of the party of Henk Krol. The daily journal Trouw interviewed the unions of elderly people. Five of these organizations for senior citizens were not happy at all with the party. “We don’t want to be associated with the image that 50Plus stands for the interests of the elderly only,” says Wim van Minnen, the chairman of CSO, the umbrella organization of the elderly unions. “Every discussion about the young and old undermines the solidarity that we stand for.” Chairman Rienk van Splunder of the PCOB (Protestant Christian Elderly Union) says that he does not like parties which stand up for a single group in the society. He has the feeling that since 50Plus started, the generations are played out against each other. Other elderly unions like the NVOG, the Union KBO and NOOM share the same vision, according to Trouw.