The proposals of critical members of JA21 to make the party more democratic were passed by a large majority at the plenary session in Amersfoort. Many party members were alarmed by a critical open letter two weeks ago. Among the signatories were prominent members such as MPs, members of state legislatures and members of the European Parliament.
They felt that there was not enough democracy in the party and were disappointed with the results of the March local elections. JA21 started with 2 more seats than its rival BBB in the House, but this party is now far behind JA21 in the polls.
Almost everyone was convinced
Almost everyone in the party today seemed convinced that things should be more democratic and better. According to the letter writers, a small group has too much power and members have too little say. As heard from within the party, this group determines the route, decides who will be the board of directors and who will be the deputy. The letter writers also believe that Members of the European Parliament should not hold more than one office at a time, as it currently is.
Party leader Eerdmans took the air at the beginning of the meeting, saying that he accepted the ideas of critical members. And the board promised improvement ahead of the meeting. There will be a party assembly so that members can have more say in the going, the board of directors will henceforth be democratically elected, and dual functions will cease in the future.
Eerdmans: You can also fly very fast
That’s why Eerdmans supports the proposals, though he warns it shouldn’t change too quickly: “We started in the cockpit of a small plane. It started flying faster and faster. But you can also fly very fast.” According to Eerdmans, there is no alternative to JA21 to get the country out of recession.
Some critical members still lack confidence in the board’s promises and the speed with which changes are coming. “I got the impression that you’ve hit the brakes a little too hard, Joost,” former MP Ransijn told Eerdmans, “we can step on the gas a little bit more.” MEP Roos isn’t entirely satisfied either. But the critics were ultimately outnumbered today.
Source: NOS

Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.