The Dutch House of Representatives elections are just two days away, and on Monday evening, six party leaders gathered in the Ahoy in Rotterdam for a televised debate. While the atmosphere was more civilized than it had been in a previous debate on SBS6, the contradictions between the right and left parties were once again brought to the forefront.
During the climate debate, Timmermans and Jetten argued for increased climate ambitions, while the others warned of the high costs that would come with a greener economy. Wilders (PVV) strongly opposed their arguments, stating that people just want to be able to pay for their groceries and that there are bigger problems facing the country in the future.
In terms of migration policy, Yesilgöz, Wilders, Omtzigt, and Van der Plas all called for stricter border controls, while Timmermans and Jetten emphasized the need for a hospitable country. Jetten even directly attacked Yesilgöz’s VVD party, claiming that they had held sway over migration policy for twelve years without making any significant progress.
Despite these differences, there seemed to be consensus on one theme: housing. Each party emphasized that efforts would need to be made to boost construction after the elections. However, this did not seem to be a major point of contention during Wednesday’s debate.
Tomorrow evening will see the final televised debate between party leaders at NOS before voters head to the polls on Wednesday.
