You could feel the suspense. “Those in favour of the resolution, raise your yellow cards”. Thousands of yellow cards shot up in the air. An excited murmur went around the hall. It was already clear which way it would go.
Then the cards against the resolution were raised, and the chairman said, “From here on the podium, is it clear that the resolution has passed.” And so began a new era for the Christen-Democratisch Appel, the Dutch Christian Democrats.
Tense times
The suspense in Arnhem is over. At the largest party conference in Dutch history, the members have now approved their party's participation in a governing coalition with the free-market liberal VVD party, supported in parliament by Geert Wilders' Freedom Party. Even though two Christian Democract MPs remain opposed, the new cabinet is expected to take office within the next two weeks.
But for the Christian Democrats, the tension remains. The 2,759 CDA members who held up their yellow cards to vote for the new cabinet chose to trust their party leaders. At least, to trust the current leaders. But they went against some impassioned warnings, many from their former leaders, about what a 'yes' vote would mean for the party.
Mainstay
Outgoing Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, a mainstay in the CDA leadership since the party’s founding in 1980, and the son of Holocaust survivors, urged: “Don’t do this to the people in our country, don’t do this to the party, don’t do this to our country.”
Outgoing Health Minister Ab Klink, former right-hand man to party leader Maxime Verhagen and the brains behind much of the CDA's current position, said “This strikes Christian Democracy at its heart. My advice: don’t do it.”
Two former CDA prime ministers were also opposed. Another scowled from his seat, having decided not to speak on the day, but his opposition was clear. One of the grand old dames of the party, 84-year-old resistance heroine Johanna van Leeuwen, said she never thought she would see the day when her CDA would stoop to govern with the support of Geert Wilders. All to no avail.
Of course, many prominent Christen Democrats argued just as passionately in favour of the new government - not least Maxime Verhagen himself, who got teary as he recalled his father and grandfather’s careers in the party.
Pragmatists vs Idealists
But a pragmatic argument is by nature less emotional. Mr Verhagen and his supporters believe they have converted a very bad election outcome (the party lost nearly half its seats, and is now only the fourth largest party in parliament) to a very good coalition agreement.
Christian Democrats are accustomed to being in power, and have not performed well in opposition. And the party is famously well disciplined, usually trusting in their leaders to do what is best. Maxime Verhagen appealed to that trust. “Geert Wilders is not a member of this government. We will be able to set the tone.”
Opponents, on the other hand, appealed to members’ sense of principles. A strong argument in a party founded on Christian beliefs. Opponents believe the party has gone back on its principles. One member went so far as to say the party is selling its soul for the sake of power. The short-term advantage, many warned, will be outweighed by dire consequences for the party in the long term.
Unity
One supporter with a long-term view, outgoing Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings, was himself quite emotional in refuting this argument. Although he has bowed out of politics for the moment, he left no doubt about his long-term ambitions as he gave a rousing 60-second call to action. “We are not divided about our ideals. We will bring our party back to where it belongs, at number one. Our country needs us.”
The question is how many of those in the hall in Arnhem will still consider themselves Christian Democrats when Camiel Eurlings re-enters politics. The word heard the most in Arnhem, from the speakers and from conversations with members, was ‘unity’ — an important CDA value, the more so in its absence. The party is now anything but unified, and some wonder if the Christian Democrats’ historic vote in Arnhem will prove to be a bridge too far.
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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In every age, the vilest specimens of human nuture are to be found among demagogues. You can't adopt politics as a profession and remain honest. Take the C out of CDA.
Well, Hiram, at least our beleagured British friends will get to vote in a referendum over proportional voting! They also have rejected the continental European democratic practice for an overwhelming length of their right to vote, thereby leaving the Government to make the strategic decisions of the day, and then to defend them later in a following election. In this manner, the British have the style of democracy they wish to practice, away from the reflex of popular opinion polls. Your mention "At least the Dutch people have some say on the government's decisions." This then is and should be true for any governing party power to maintain the democratic tradition in the Netherlands. Why then does Geert claim to have a monopoly of what is right or wrong for the people of the Netherlands? Any deviation or disagreement from his policies is considered wrong thinking, even within the discipline and censure of the PVV itself. Where does the free democratic input flow back to the government under Geert as a Dutch PM? The Dutch are therefore sleepwalking into a system of Geert's way or the highway!!
The corrupt CDA elite who want power at any price are selling their souls to the devil.
The racist, quasi-fascist Wilders is busy attempting to manipulate minority party voters - animal rights, pensioners etc with the intention of consolidating a populist position as precursory manoeuvring to the establishment of ultra-right, nationalistic dominance. A significant proportion of the Dutch population are sleep-walking into political tragedy.
The world is watching…
"A significant proportion of the Dutch population are sleep-walking into political tragedy."........Just like the British, hey mate? When the majority of Brits didn't want to go to war against Iraq, the government did it without the consent of the majority. When the Brits became part of the EU, did the British people get a chance to vote on the union between the two? When the people of Ire wanted their freedoms from British rule, did they get it? No, sir, they didn't! Be nice, okay. At least the Dutch people have some say on the government's decisions. There aren't any many civil liberties in the UK. The British walked into their political tragedy with their eyes wide open. The BNP is the only hope for its citizens.
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