Dutch newspaper NRC retracts claim that informateur Wijers called VVD leader a ‘liar’
Dutch newspaper NRC has retracted its reporting that D66 informateur Hans Wijers called VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz a “liar.” “We gave the impression that we had more sources who heard Wijers call someone a ‘liar’ than we actually did,” NRC wrote Friday.
The retraction follows reporting by de Volkskrant, which spoke to additional sources who said Wijers never made the statement.
“Our basis for the claim that Wijers said ‘liar’ is therefore unsustainable, and as a result, we can no longer fully vouch for our reporting on informateur Wijers,” NRC added. The retraction applies to articles published on Thursday, November 13, Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15.
“We apologize to our readers and have also offered our apologies to Mr. Wijers,” NRC stated. The organization added, “This outcome is extremely painful for NRC, but it is necessary for our careful, reliable, and fact-based journalism.”
The retraction comes in the wake of a separate controversy that led Wijers to step down from his role as informateur. Last week, NRC initially reported on private messages in which Wijers referred to Yeşilgöz as “that witch from the VVD.” Wijers said the messages, sent well before the elections, were “a one-on-one communication” in which he “spontaneously made remarks that you would never make if you thought them through.”
Following the revelation, Wijers resigned from his role in the coalition formation process, leaving Sybrand Buma, the other informateur, to continue alone. D66 leader Rob Jetten described Wijers’ resignation as “the only logical choice,” while Yeşilgöz expressed hope that coalition talks can now proceed without distraction.
In the Netherlands, an informateur helps explore potential coalitions after elections, meeting with parties to identify agreements and disagreements and advising the king or parliament on forming a government. Wijers, a former D66 minister and former ING supervisory board member, had already faced criticism for previous comments about the VVD party and its leader during election night gatherings.
