In his farewell letter he spoke of a “goodbye to a village”. While he admits that there are many squabbles between neighbors in that House of Representatives village, he will especially miss the collegiality there. “People forget how much friendliness there actually is in the House,” Segers says. “There was always room to hang out and huff and talk. Whether it’s a sick child or huge dilemmas you can’t solve. And then there is a lot of collegiality».
Not to mention the amazing House staff, Segers says. “Sometimes it’s very exciting in the Chamber, but at the same time the Chamber is also very often a nice place to be.”
Conviviality
He therefore hopes that the conviviality of the House will remain, especially for the decorous ways and for the social significance that derive from it. Not long ago there was much to be done about it, and so Segers requests in his letter an improvement of these manners. “If we can remain pleasant colleagues in the House despite all our differences, then we will demonstrate that this should work outside the House as well,” reads his letter.
Political reporter Sophie van Leeuwen – who regularly saw Segers approaching the microphone of the break – can laugh about it. “It was really a normal shot,” she says. “If the House exploded again, Gert-Jan Segers would immediately go to the interrupt microphone to immediately call people to order. And I have to say that because of his actions, little ‘Segertjes’ have been planted elsewhere as well, because I’ve seen that happening more often lately.’
Contents
Segers would much rather see the debate return to content rather than fanfare. “We’re here because of our conflicting opinions, and sometimes that conflicts,” he says. ‘This can be done within the coalition, that can be done between the coalition and the opposition, other parties, you name it. It can be fierce in terms of content, but don’t make it personal and make sure the relationship stays good. And after the collision, seek political cooperation.’
He therefore believes that if it is only personal, harsh and ugly, it spills over into society. “But if we can clash on content here, but remain friendly colleagues and work together, then we will also do something good for the country.”
Tone hardening
The tone of the debate has soured over the past decade, and while he’s always done his best to improve that tone, that mission seems to have failed. But it’s not sad at all. “I’ve been trying to help over the past ten years, and now it’s the turn of others,” he concludes. “There is a renewed faction at ChristenUnie with very qualified people, and I have a lot of faith in that.”