Deputy Prime Lodewijk Asscher during the weekly press conference in Nieuwspoort. Photo ANP / Lex van Lieshout
The return of the controversial former VVD MP Johan Houwers in parliament is” bad for the reputation of politics. ” That said Deputy Prime Lodewijk Asscher this afternoon at the weekly press conference after the cabinet meeting.
The government adjusts restraint in statements about parliamentarians, Asscher said, because the Chamber monitors the Cabinet and not vice versa. That Houwers as sole fraction goes, is something the voters had not wanted nor expected, says Asscher. “That he does this, I can not much argue with from my position.”
Coalition can not use dissident more
Houwers announced yesterday that he is the vacant seat of the VVD taking as a loner and returns to the House. VVD party leader Halbe Zijlstra spoke of “pure robbery seat.” Masons was no longer welcome at the VVD, after the prosecution had announced that masons must meet a fine of 4,000 euros for mortgage fraud.
Now Houwers occupies the seat, the VVD becomes a seat lost and the coalition can not afford any more dissident. The government supports from now on the narrowest possible majority in the House: 76 seats out of 150 (40 for 36 for coalition partner VVD and PvdA).
‘It will not be easy
Asscher:
“We will be as Cabinet extra hard to do our best to gain majorities in the Senate. That will not be easy. But we are confident that we have spoken to each other, it will succeed. It fits into the Dutch political tradition that parties take responsibility. The current fragmented, fragmented landscape demands this. “
Asscher spoke further about the accident in Mali and the fact-finding mission of defense and police to the MH17-disaster area. Look back to the statement below:
Read today in NRC Handelsblad: Jeroen Houwers. Vomited by the VVD, but back in the room (€)
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