Nuclear power, demo bans – Klaas Dijkhoff is politician of the year

Klaas Dijkhoff eyes up the trophy. Photo: Hollandse Hoogte / Laurens van Putten

Klaas Dijkhoff, leader of the parliamentary VVD, has been chosen as politician of the year in the annual online vote held by television current affairs show EenVandaag.

Dijkhoff hit the headlines this year for suggesting the Netherlands follow Denmark in introducing tougher penalties for people from ‘problem areas’ who commit crimes, coming out in support of nuclear power and for backing a ban on demonstrations during the Sinterklaas processions.

‘The panel members say he really knows what the issues in the country are,’ EenVandaag said.

PVV leader Geert Wilders was second in the poll and GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver third.

The poll has caused controversy because all five nominees were men, and four were on the right or far right of the political spectrum. Thierry Baudet, founder of the Forum voor Democracie and prime minister Mark Rutte, also VVD, completed the line up.

Just under one third of MPs in the Netherlands are female and their number has dropped sharply in the last 10 years.

This is % of women in Dutch parliament (TK). Deplorable! And it doesn’t even illustrate almost complete lack of female leaders in factions and parties. The Netherlands is in (mid) 20th century in terms of gender and politics!

Graph by @SimonOtjes (follow him for Dutch politics) pic.twitter.com/74YfovZXAw

— Cas Mudde 🤦‍♂️ (@CasMudde) December 17, 2018

EenVandaag panel members voted the government’s decision to scrap the tax on dividends as their political moment of 2018.