The Netherlands mourns the death of a statesman. Christian Democrats' golden boy bows out. Celeb designer furious after prison ordeal. Dutch parliament votes for thumb-twiddling. And cursed Amsterdam metro project receives blessing.

Hans van Mierlo: death of a statesman
All of today’s papers mourn the passing of politician Hans van Mierlo, founder of the D66 Democrat Party. Papers across the political spectrum are unanimous in recognising his impact on the Netherlands. De Volkskrant describes him as “a democrat through and through” and “a thinker, a dreamer and an inspiration”. Under the headline “He changed politics”, nrc.next tries to capture the complex figure of Van Mierlo as “a philosopher, a bohemian, a romantic, a rationalist, a bon vivant, a master of paradox, an eternal doubter … and, above all, the personification of the 1960s cultural revolution in the Netherlands that never quite became a revolution”.

De Telegraaf strikes a critical note, observing that despite an impressive career which included a stint as deputy PM and foreign minister, Van Mierlo cannot be said to “have left a great legacy”. But it does go on to pay tribute to him as “a fascinating, charismatic personality who made us all reflect”, a man for whom the “urge for reform was central to his political life”. In another 1960s reference, Trouw recalls that Van Mierlo was once dubbed “the Dutch Kennedy” and says that “he felt an affinity with the best of American politics”. The paper notes that one of his main achievements was to “make politics more accessible” and that “he introduced an openness which we now take for granted, but which was revolutionary at the time.”

Unexpected exit for Christian Democrats' golden boy
Sharing many of the front pages with Hans van Mierlo is Christian Democrat transport minister Camiel Eurlings, who has made the unexpected move of bowing out of politics at the tender age of 36. As de Volkskrant reflects, the news is particularly surprising given that “all the signs suggested that the Christian Democrats were set to position Eurlings as the party’s number two candidate” and that “the young flamboyant Catholic politician from the south was seen as a welcome complement to solid, reliable, Protestant PM Balkenende.”

AD pictures Mr Eurlings with his Hungarian girlfriend and praises him for making “an admirable choice by putting his relationship first”. The paper points out that “the office of prime minister was within the transport minister’s reach” and says he has “set an example many might follow” by showing that “in the terribly difficult choice between work and personal life … a promising career is not to be preferred at any price.”

Focusing on the political implications of Mr Eurlings’ departure, de Volkskrant notes that “the Christian Democrats are losing one of their biggest vote pullers” and that the timing of the decision - ahead of a general election and with the party flagging in the polls - “leads to undesirable speculation … is Sunday’s child Camiel abandoning a sinking ship?” While Mr Eurlings himself is “young enough to make a comeback” the paper reckons the same may not apply to longer serving Christian Democrats after the June ballot.

Celeb designer livid after prison ordeal
All of today’s papers carry the story of celebrity interior designer Jan des Bouvrie who spent two days in a police cell on suspicion of forging an invoice to aid and abet a customer implicated in a major tax evasion case. De Telegraaf describes Mr Des Bouvrie’s voice as “trembling with barely contained anger” at yesterday’s press conference: “It’s scandalous and out of all proportion! I’m a designer, not an accountant! … What kind of country are we living in when prominent real estate agents, musicians and designers are being held up as deterrents for the rest of society?”

The designer says he had it tough in the clink. After a day with little to eat, he was given a microwave dinner with rice. “And I hate rice!” he complains in de Volkskrant. But there were some glimmers of hope. The coffee lady asked for his autograph and he was given a pencil and paper so that he could kill the time by sketching. He drew his cell “with a big flower on the door to make it a bit cosier”. The designer is very clear on the motivation for what he sees as the authorities’ disproportionate action. “The only reason I can think of is that it’s because I am a celebrity.” The irony of the situation wasn’t entirely lost on the police officers at the station where he was held. According to de Volkskrant, they asked the suspect if he wouldn’t mind giving the place a Des Bouvrie makeover while he was there.

Dutch parliament votes for thumb-twiddling
Returning to politics, AD reports that in the lead-up to June’s general election “parliament will hardly tackle any important issues … Yesterday it declared over 300 topics controversial”. Now that new elections have been called, all issues stamped controversial have to be left to the next parliament which will only be formed once the electorate has had its say. The decisions shelved include raising the pension age, the purchase of the Joint Strike Fighter and the introduction of road pricing.

The paper quotes a “shocked” MP Rita Verdonk who, while finding it “seriously regrettable that the country is being left more or less ungoverned in a period of economic crisis”, voted in favour of shelving the 33-page list of topics anyway. In its editorial, de Volkskrant describes parliament as existing in a “shadow land” between “controversialists” who want to postpone as much as possible and “urgentists” who are in favour of decisions going ahead in the national interest. The paper points out that parliament needn’t sit around twiddling its thumbs just because the government has collapsed, but nonetheless concludes that yesterday’s vote proved that “the Lower House, too, has more or less tendered its resignation until after 9 June”.

Blessing bestowed on Amsterdam's metro line
It’s kind of reassuring to know that in these high-tech times there is still a place for time-honoured rituals. NRC.next features a picture of a Roman Catholic cleric – looking rather incongruous in vestments and a green hard hat - blessing the gigantic drill that is due to start burrowing under the heart of Amsterdam next week to create the tunnel for the city’s new metro line. The paper notes that “without this ritual, the German tunnel experts won’t drill a single centimetre”. Unfortunately for the city’s executives, the massively controversial and over-budget project is still more likely to be cursed than blessed by the city’s inhabitants …