Left-wing parties pledge to work towards ‘a different Netherlands’

The three leaders of the country’s main left-wing parties pledged to work together to bring about ‘a different Netherlands’ at a joint congress in Amsterdam on Sunday.

The meeting was called by Labour leader Job Cohen to strengthen the profile of the opposition in the run-up to the March provincial elections.
Cohen described the gathering as historic, but did not announce any future plans, the NRC says in its coverage of the event.
‘This more a cease fire during the election campaign and a moment for the parties to gather new energy than for a new vision for the future,’ the paper said in an analysis.
Cabinet downfall
Socialist party leader Emile Roemer said he was prepared to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with Labour and other political parties and lobby groups to bring about the fall of the Mark Rutte-led cabinet.
New GroenLinks leader Jolande Sap accused the cabinet of putting on a show of solving problems. ‘What does the Netherlands get out of a police force for guinea pigs, burqa ban, nuclear power and a 130 kph speed limit?’ she asked.
‘We should not bother ourselves with right-wing hobbies such as catching burqa wearers,’ Cohen said – a one-liner which plays on Geert Wilders’ constant reference to ‘left-wing hobbies’.
Alexander Pechtold, leader of the Liberal democrats D66, and André Rouvoet of the ChristenUnie, turned down an invitation to the event.