Cicero

[Mark Giebels]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl


Interessant artikel van Radio Netherlands:

http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/10770593?vie
w=Standard&version=1

Dutch democratic reform takes a tumble
by Ann-Marie Michel and the RN internet desk, 23 March 2005



Hardly burning-up the ballot box
Political scientist André Krouwel, Associate Professor of Political
Science at Amsterdam's Free University, thinks the fact that
constitutional reform is hardly a burning issue among voters will
prevent a government meltdown: 

"I doubt very seriously that the government will fall, since all the
parties in the government - the Christian Democrats and the two Liberal
parties - all voted in favour of changing the constitution. The ones who
voted against were the opposition parties. So, in that respect, the
coalition is still intact."

Professor Krouwel points out that D66's demands for constitutional
reform have a long history in Dutch politics:

"It's true that they made it conditional on their entering this
government: they've done that five times already. And none of those
times was the law passed to introduce a directly elected mayor. De Graaf
shouldn't take it so seriously; he should have known that he is flogging
a dead horse and that they have been flogging a dead horse since 1973,
when they enetered government for the first time."


Currently, Dutch mayors are chosen through a complicated set of
procedures involving application by candidates, the selection of two
potental candidates whose applications are subject to review and
recommendation at several levels. Finally the mayor is appointed on the
basis of a ministerial recommendation. 
Stakes are high
Mr de Graaf had staked a great deal on this issue, and last night's
defeat has already produced some calls for his resignation. Professor
Krouwel thinks D66 faces three choices: 
"The consequences could be that they just drop the whole idea of
constitutional reform - as they did before. They could also introduce a
new version of the law that would mean that both de Graaf and his party
are still in government. The party could also just replace this minister
and let another minister enter government to see what he or she could
do."

But André Krouwel doubts that, ultimately, Tuesday's defeat will have an
adverse effect on either Mr de Graaf himself or his party.

"People do not think it's an important issue. I don't think it is a
personal thing, and De Graaf nor his party, nor anybody else, should see
this as a personal thing."

Obstacle to reform
Personal or not, Mr de Graaf's own deep involvment in theissue could
itself now become an obstacle to constitutiona reform:

"This is a very important change, one of the major changes that [we've
been trying to] introduce since 1970 to our political institutions, so
it should be well-thought out and well-debated, and of course parties
will have different opinions on it. I think the debate should be very
pragmatic and very to the point of what we're going to change, and not
made into a personal vendetta and 'I am going to be the minister that
pushes it through.' De Graaf seems to take almost that position. He's
personally disappointed."




<-----Original Message-----> 
>From: Mark Giebels
>Sent: 3/23/2005 10:14:04 AM
>To: hmje at home.nl;D66 at nic.surfnet.nl
>Subject: Re: Cicero
>
>REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl
>
>
><-----Original Message-----> 
>>From: Henk Elegeert
>>Hetgeen heeft plaatsgevonden is een aardige bevestiging van 
>>wat men toch al dacht. Het volk zal hier lering uit trekken, 
>>lijkt me.
>
>Henk, ik deel je verontwaardiging over het machtsmisbruik van de EK,
>maar je kaart hier een onderwerp aan waar uiteindelijk de oorzaak van
al
>deze ellende ligt. De dieperliggende oorzaak van het feit dat die
> 

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********