Hundreds of VVD members sign letter to party leadership over concerns with coalition

More than a thousand people have signed a letter to the VVD board expressing "great concerns" about the party's coalition. "We have tolerated harmful situations for far too long and are losing the strength to get out of them," the signatories say. They want a different course clarifying "non-negotiable liberal principles, values, and ideals."

Over a thousand signatories are involved, more than half of whom (629) are members of the VVD. According to the initiators, the letter also includes signatures from "former members and sympathizers."

They believe that the VVD has drifted too far from its own ideological roots: "The policies pursued by the partners in this coalition do not suit us," they say. No specific party is mentioned, but it is clear that the PVV is being referred to as a coalition partner. Critical members point out that "behaviors and things are being made possible that were unthinkable in the national administration just last year." PVV ministers, in particular, were criticized in the first days of the Schoof Cabinet, which was supported by the coalition of PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB.

In recent days, digital signatures have already been collected via the website liberalevvd.nl, where they are campaigning for the return of liberalism to the VVD under the title "Freedom, respect and decency" and "If you don't guard your boundaries, it's the beginning of the end.", a quote from former Prime Minister Mark Rutte. In the meantime, the 20 initiators have even submitted a letter to the VVD party leadership.

The idea is to start a structured discussion on this, in which members must come to an agreement "on the lower limit on various relevant topics."

Overall, the VVD members stated in the letter that they could no longer look away from the fact that the party was going down the wrong path in the new coalition. Therefore, they see it as their responsibility to raise their voices and to set boundaries. "We, as VVD members, make this coalition, these choices, and this behavior possible. We bear collective responsibility for this, but also individually. It is now also our responsibility to no longer look away, to speak out, and to set boundaries."

The letter was initiated by former MP Pim van Strien, Mayor Hanne van Aart of Loon op Zand, Rotterdam councilor Erik Verweij, and Groningen parliamentary group leader Ietje Jacobs-Setz, among others. Well-known former ministers of the VVD government, such as Frits Korthals Altes (also Minister of State), Dick Dees, and Ed Nijpels, also joined the signatories. Furthermore, former MP Ingrid de Caluwé and parliamentary candidate Shirin Musa are also on the list.