‘This group is not well represented’
Whether it concerns gas extraction in Groningen, the government’s corona policy for switching to nuclear energy. The days many people take to the streets to demonstrate. There is a lot of discontent in society, which is not heard by the government.
There is a lot of dissatisfaction in the Netherlands, especially in areas where the population is shrinking and where things are not going so well. “A shift in the center of gravity of protest votes from city to countryside,” said Josse de Voogd, social geographer, at Good morning Netherlands on NPO 1.
It is therefore up to the government to regain trust. But why? “Go well into the country and be aware of the big differences. Act on that basis, because your perspective is not how anyone else sees it,” says De Voogd.
Growing group of dropouts
The group of people who drop out and take to the streets to protest to strive to become bigger and bigger. “We are talking about people who are less well-educated and who live outside the Randstad conurbation”, says Telegraaf reporter Wierd Duk.
According to Duk, it is often about people who vote for the PVV of Forum for Democracy. Those parties are never actually represented in government. Not even in Rutte IV. “That is a very big problem. Research also shows that people who vote for VVD or D66, often highly educated urban people, are satisfied with their own lives, their own lives and with the course of the Netherlands.”
They have the feeling that they are the center of the political Netherlands. Which is not surprising if you look at the coalition parties VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie. “But that’s not the case at all,” explains Duk. “These are the extremes of the Netherlands. A very large part of the Netherlands does not agree at all with the world view that is propagated by them. The sociological center is not at all well represented in this cabinet and also the group of people who are in resistance arises.”
‘Gift cocktail’
Tom Berendsen, CDA MEP, understands that the group of people that Duk is talking about have let themselves down. “You have to take action against that,” he says. But it is a “toxic cocktail”.
Berendsen explains. “The right care for people who are abandoned and who are entitled to services. Second, social media. Where it seems like everyone is having a great time, but not yourself. People express themselves anonymously, which in the past would have given you a slap at a birthday party. And political parties that turn that anger and anger into a political revenue model.”
The fact is, voters of, for example, FVD have never represented their party in the cabinet. “A community party like the CDA should have taken care of these people,” says Duk. “She also cares about politics: ‘also about us’.”
Crisis
The few look at, formerly politically represented by parties such as the CDA, VVD and PvdA. According to Duk, that is no longer the case. “That is a very serious political crisis. Especially in a time of a pandemic.”
Dude notices that it is more difficult for him to reach this group of people as a journalist. “A large part of them live in a parallel society. They no longer read the newspaper or watch talk shows. Especially on the corona and vaccination point of view I can no longer until they are active. That is too escalated and polarized.”
How does this problem solve itself then? “Politics must understand that this is there. It then has to make every possible effort to reach this group, but that seems like quite a task to me.”
ALSO READ: Groningers are upset about decision on gas extraction: ‘We feel cheated’
Door: Vick ten Wolde
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