DutchNews.nl - Cabinet collapse: opposition reactions

Cabinet collapse: opposition reactions

Saturday 20 February 2010

The collapse of the Christian Democrat, Labour, ChristenUnie government was inevitable, opposition party leaders said in their initial reactions.

Socialist party leader Agnes Kant said she hoped new elections would be held as soon as possible. 'It is right that voters now have their say,' she said. 'I am pleased about that, because there are difficult choices ahead.'

Femke Halsema, leader of the left-wing greens GroenLinks said Labour's decision to pull out of the cabinet was brave, but will affect the party for years to come. 'A CDA Labour coalition is unlikely for years to come,' she said. 'And that will have a major effect on the future'

Alexander Pechtold, leader of the Liberal democrats D66 said the cabinet's collapse had been unavoidable. 'Trust between the ministers disappeared weeks ago,' he said. Both parties were equally to blame, he said.

The government had been ruled by a lack of decision-making, he said. 'The Netherlands has lost three years, thanks to this government's lack of ambition.'

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Readers' comments

Although I am a PVV supporter and nothing can ever change that, Wouter Bos should be commended for his bravery, his courageous act to say enough is enough, no means no!

CDA should get full blame, mostly for supporting a Prime Minister that showed no leadership whatsoever and only cared about his own political reputation in the world instead of honoring what the majority of the Dutch citizens wanted.

By sandrav | February 20, 2010 7:10 AM

I am not supporting PVV or VVD because if we support them. Then we have to recognize and support Taliban and Osama, who has similar stance. PVV and VVD are anti-immigrants party. In other words, they do not want foreigners on their soil, so the same is the demand of Taliban and Osama. Their coming to power will put the Netherlands into more turmoil, insecurity and more choas. Their slogans are more appealing to the emotions but have nothing to do with the practical problems of common people. We need more balanced and practical political party, who address the problem of the common people and not emotionally black-mail the majority for their own interests.

By jerry | February 20, 2010 12:10 PM

Brave decision from Bos. He save at the same times many ducth lives whor a youg peopels sent to died there for nothing.

Family of the military have to ve proud of Bos

By Dina | February 20, 2010 12:28 PM

Shame on you Wouter...as a long tine labour voter I am ashamed of my party. We should stay until the job is done!! The military want to finish the job..

By Heather Hennessey | February 20, 2010 1:20 PM

yea bring on an election and get these religious nutters OUT !!!

By adhd | February 20, 2010 1:28 PM

Heather Iam sorry but you are not right. The Nedeland is pacefull country and the job there will not be finish forvever. The so called taliban are supported by the majority of afghans peoples who doesnt want freedom. and I was always angry when I saw the young dead military sent back from Afghanistan.Politically, the Nederland have no problems at all with any country in this world. So let the young military came home, they have also families et childrens. enougt and enought wars.

By dina | February 20, 2010 3:16 PM

I am inclined to agrea with Dina. War is a failure of human kind. Who are we to tell the Afghans to have a democratic government. It is not that they have been invaded by a foreign country (apart from the nato that is)
They should be left to sort themselves out. Like every country they have the government they deserve. The Netherlands have no business there.

By Frans | February 20, 2010 5:17 PM

Personally I just want to see an end to ugly right-wing politics in The netherlands as soon as possible. Maybe the election will surprise us positively .Europe as a whole desperately needs a change in direction.

By Edward Ka-Spel | February 20, 2010 5:59 PM

Why does Holland have soldiers at all, I wonder. Sometimes soldiers have to kill- you can't let these little countries go to the wall. I believe my father belived this when he passed through Eindhoven on the way to Germany in 1944, and his father when he died at Ieper in 1915. If there is a threat we must surely all hang together, or we will all hang separately. Holland should not in all fairness leave America and the UK to bear the burden and then expect to reap the rewards of peace. I hope Holland will stay in the fight.

By Eoin | February 20, 2010 9:35 PM

It to me seems strange that a goverment would collapse over such a decision. Think about it if we withdraw, we would either get the thumbs up from some countries and thumbs down from others. We will be seen as a state of peace, that does not wish to impose its will upon others as we had done back in the colonial era. I think it is time to change and not follow America/UK , however, we shouldn't completely forget the fight, there is something as sending specialists and supplies to aid our allied troops.

By Rolf van Bos | February 22, 2010 12:54 PM

I happy that Labour and Wouter Bos will be sitting out in the wings for awhile... they're a party of opportunist praying on the naivete of the Dutch public in order to garner votes. They hardly care about the Dutch army or whether the war in Afghanistan goes on or not... they see the public decent as a popular movement and intend on capitalizing on it. They did this also with the EU Treaty vote first time around and then said nothing when it came up for a second vote (without any significant changes) because they saw resistance was unpopular.

By Buzzer | February 23, 2010 6:44 PM

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