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In particular, according to De Vries, the role that social media play today is fundamental. “Especially compared to the ’90s when they didn’t have a role,” he says. ‘In 2006 we as Board of Directors were still working on Hyves, but nobody knows anymore today.’
However, according to Roderik van Grieken, director of the Netherlands Debate Institute, it was precisely this choice by the CDA to start with Hyves that brought the Christian Democrats a profit in 2006. “The CDA was the first political party to have Blackberry phones,” says Van Grieken. “The CDA was way ahead in terms of technology.”
New arrival
But if before the CDA was ahead of its opponents, now the Christian Democrats seem to be losing ground. “When you went to the road during the campaign, you would see the green of all the CDA signs in the meadows,” he continues. “They’re all BBB plates now. The new kid on the block, and obviously they are running a big campaign because they are newcomers.’
BBB is the newcomer. They are running a very good campaign because they are newcomers
According to De Vries it is an advantage that will create tension tonight. “It will be an exciting battle. Will the VVD become the bigger combination, the GroenLinks/PvdA list, or will it still be BBB?’, he wonders. “Just like Thierry Baudet became the greatest from scratch in 2019”.
Strategic
According to De Vries, the reason for this lies in the dissatisfaction among Dutch citizens: the strategy of voting for something that is explicitly not the other. “At election time, people vote for a certain party because they don’t want other parties,” he says. De Vries mentions the political battle between Wouter Bos and Jan-Peter Balkenende in 2010, where Balkenende received many extra votes from VVD members, who didn’t want Bos to win.
De Vries believes a similar battle is raging between left and right, and thus understands Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s electoral decision to join the popular football program Today Inside. “You reach a different target group than you reach with Op1, Buitenhof or regular debates,” he says. “You too want to join that group of Dutch people.”
Past
Though one and a half million viewers might talk about a successful night of television, De Vries was watching with his toes curled. Especially since Rutte was verbally abused. “But she can do it like no one else,” says De Vries. ‘They didn’t make it difficult, because they weren’t involved enough in the content. Rutte is also witty and has a sense of humour.’
According to Van Grieken, however, there was little decency. “He was verbally spat in his face for an hour, I’d say almost,” says Van Grieken. “Either way, the result was a special television.”
Political journalist Sophie van Leeuwen thinks Rutte’s attempt to win votes in the VI is futile. “He’s doing everything he can to become the biggest party,” says Van Leeuwen. However, based on polls by EenVandaag and Ipsos, things are looking bleak for the VVD. “Rutte doesn’t seem to be successful,” she told the BNR earlier.