Political blogs: One month on

Initially, I wanted to write this blog immediately after the election, but when I was inundated with columns, articles and blogs trying to interpret the election, I did not want to ride that wave and take a little more time to write a response. I started searching through the jungle of interpretations to find what I agree or disagree with. In this way, I try to provide a response, but also a solution.

Surprise, that was all I felt at nine o'clock on 22 November. Thirty-five seats appeared on the screen. A number no one saw coming, including Geert Wilders. Images surfaced of him slapping his hands in front of his face, and with him the rest of the Netherlands. From left to right, the whole country was amazed at the immense jump the PVV had made in the last few days.

Somehow I blame myself for not seeing it coming. Since victories in the provincial councils of FvD in 2019 and the BBB earlier this year, I should have seen coming that discontent in North Holland and Flevoland is high and emotion leading. The reason the VVD could win the 2021 parliamentary elections was the corona crisis. People were afraid and sought firmness in the incumbent, but when the storm subsided, discontent reared its head again. A discontent created by the first three Rutte cabinets, in which capitalism triumphed and government distrust of citizens increased. A party that saw market forces as the solution to everything, losing sight of what is important to the population.

It is not surprising that a large proportion of the Dutch have lost faith in the government. The ‘working Dutchman’, which the VVD always so prides itself on, came out cheated. This resulted in gains for Baudet, van der Plas and now Wilders. Parties that tell a different story, a radical story with which the disappointed voter can take revenge on the incumbent.

But.

We cannot blame the VVD for everything and should also take a more critical look at ourselves. There is a reason why disappointed voters choose a populist again and again. The PVV won mainly on social issues: affordable care, housing shortage and the minimum wage. All issues we are fighting for. Yet voters find it hard to find us. They prefer to believe in a clear narrative with identifiable culprits, and Geert Wilders eagerly exploits this.

The problem is actually twofold: on the one hand, voters want social policies, specifically for those who are struggling financially; on the other, conservative policies that preserve traditions. Refugees, inclusion and climate are unimportant to them as long as they are excluded from the current system. It is unfortunate that these voters do not see that these issues can coexist. It was our job to explain this better. We need to bring conservatives into our story of progress. We need to position ourselves as pioneers, people who see the future as an adventure and progress as an expedition.

We, as progressives, have faith in the system and think in hopeful scenarios but much of the Netherlands thinks in fear. Fear of a world that is changing fast. Fear of a world they no longer understand. Gasping for a simpler time, they take flight backwards. Back to the one time they still (re)know.

It is incredibly important that we take different approaches to different problems. We must also solve a dual problem in two ways. On the one hand, we will have to engage with the voter who has lost hope in the left and on the other hand, we will have to counter the conservative current by giving hope to those who are sometimes in hopeless situations.

The next elections are already six months away. Even though these are about Europe, it is still important to ensure that negativism does not prevail. We will put our shoulders to the wheel and continue to spread the message of hope. We go into the new year full of courage.