There seems to be no end to CDA’s decline for now. Despite previous reports analyzing what went wrong, the party is still failing to convince voters. However, according to party leader Henri Bontenbal, his party “can still surprise”.
“CDA has added too much water to wine in recent years.” In his election interview with Nieuwsuur, Bontenbal says he wants to give the CDA a clear profile again.
The brand new CDA party leader takes over from a party that was sent into further decline by his predecessor, Wopke Hoekstra. A difficult task awaits him as the new party leader. He says it will be “fresher and more uncompromising.”
renovation
Once a widely popular party, the CDA insists on “values and norms” and advocates a “decent country.” The upcoming elections are another part where the party says it will improve its approach. Bontenbal is reluctant to innovate and also wants to turn the CDA into a climate party. So do followers still believe all this?
The natural CDA support base is rural and includes farmers. The tragedy is that these supporters’ ideas appear to be more successful than ever. But according to the polls, it no longer ends with the CDA, but with newcomers such as Pieter Omtzigt’s NSC and Caroline van der Plas’s BBB. These parties seem to sell the CDA story much better.
Still, Bontenbal believes the CDA is still “needed across the political spectrum.” “Can these new parties do this? “As a party, we have roots, including in local governments.”
a handful of seats
Of the 54 seats the party held in the 1980s, the CDA still holds fifteen in the House of Representatives today. After the November 22 elections, polls predict only a handful will remain. 11 of the current 15 CDA MPs have left their posts in The Hague or will close their doors after the elections.
Bontenbal: “I represent a broad party. In the second row is a farmer and people from all over the Netherlands. I am the leader of this large group of people. And I want to leave my mark on CDA history. “So people understand what we stand for.”
Farmer Henry Fox has completely lost confidence in the CDA. He was a member for 25 years. “They forget about it as soon as they leave the property. I never heard anything again. “We’ve heard all this talk over the last few years, but it hasn’t helped us.” The Twente dairy farmer is now considering voting for NSC or BBB. “CDA always prefers nature over agriculture.”
Bontenbal understands the frustration and admits that the (outgoing) cabinet has driven the industry to the wall for a cause. He wants to try again to make an agricultural agreement. “This is about farmers and the environment, they are coming together in this agreement. “While there are enough ideas for change in this sector, the government has started thinking top-down.”
He also says farmers have been deprived of perspective for two years. “We probably should have pushed harder and shouted. The problem hasn’t gone away. Will other parties do something completely different? “There is no easy way out of this crisis.”
‘A new kid on the block’
In terms of content, Bontenbal criticizes Pieter Omtzigt’s party, the NSC, which is a major rival. “NSC does not set an agenda and does not set a hopeful agenda. This party only analyzes problems but does not offer solutions. “When trust in politics is low, we must be careful and not further increase distrust.”
In Nieuwsuur, Bontenbal also received criticism on behalf of young people. Niels Honkoop, who was a member of the CDA council in Gouda until last year and was previously vice president of the CDA youth, has resigned his membership and has doubts about the direction of the party. The insistence on a proper Netherlands went in the wrong direction. “There is a reason why people are skeptical about politics: Groningen, the social security issue, the housing shortage. CDA was always there. And now there’s a new kid on the street who’s going to do things differently?
Bontenbal says his party should have changed course sooner, but he firmly believes the CDA can bounce back. “Our philosophy is exactly what people need and of course we must put it into practice. Trust comes on foot and goes on horseback. CDA is not dead and buried, but it will return.”
A key pillar of the previous government’s climate policy was agreements with the largest CO2 emitters in the Netherlands. The government wants to help these industries become more environmentally friendly with standards and requirements, as well as a three billion dollar subsidy. An idea from Bontenbal’s mind. What is the answer to this? Watch the full conversation here:
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.
