The outgoing Dutch prime minister says he has no regrets about staying on to fight the election earlier this month, despite the historic losses suffered by his party.
By Vanessa Mock and Herman van Gelderen
In an exclusive interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Jan Peter Balkenende admits that the loss of twenty seats for his Christian Democrats (CDA) was a “major disappointment” but he insists he enjoyed the campaign.
“When you lose so many seats, it’s a terrible event. But despite the result, it was a great campaign. I liked the debates, I really liked the interviews, it was great to see and meet people around the country,” he says.
Asked whether he should have stepped down ahead of the campaign, he explains: “I always thought the job was not over, we still had a lot on our agenda and that’s why I was very motivated to do it.”
Mr Balkenende also dismisses the suggestion expressed by several CDA members that he became too distracted last autumn by lobbying to become the first EU President - a post that eventually went to Belgium’s Herman van Rompuy.
The CDA ended fourth in the June 9 elections, behind Geert Wilders’ populist Freedom Party.
No time for nostalgia
Mr Balkenende is heading to the G20 Summit in Toronto this weekend for his last major international appearance but says it is not the time for nostalgia. “It’s business as usual.”
The meeting is likely to result in confrontation between European leaders and US President Barack Obama, who has warned European leaders against introducing drastic budget cuts that could slow economic recovery.
The Netherlands is among those countries embarking on massive cuts, with Mr Balkenende's Christian Democrats seeking spending cuts worth 18 billion euros over the coming four years.
Mr Balkenende insists that the low unemployment levels mean it is “right to work on fiscal discipline”.
Caretaker leader
Mr Balkenende is likely to stay on for several weeks, if not months, as caretaker leader while fraught negotiations to form a new coalition continue. “It’s a very complicated phase right now… but what matters is the political stability of the Netherlands.”
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
• Watch highlights of the interview, below
Email this Video
Printer-friendly version
Why does Vanessa Mock keep crowing about her interview with Balkenende being exclusive? He is on all the other Dutch channels. In the age of Twitter, exclusivity is nonsense.... The trailer looks like something you see on Russia Today (especially inspecting the troops)...purely made to keep the Hague happy. Be much better if you took the Hard Talk approach from the BBC. This just reeks of propaganda....
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.