He has also not considered the resignation and concludes from the support of “many people on the phone” that his party too would prefer not to see him leave, Hoekstra said after consulting with foreign ministers of other EU countries in Brussels.
Two days after the defeat at the polls, the leadership of the CDA party has already held consultations for the digital emergency, but has not made any announcements about it. There is another meeting on Tuesday evening. Then the party leadership, provincial department heads and leaders of the CDJA, the women’s and seniors’ network, will meet to discuss the outcome, the party spokesman said. He didn’t want to say where is that crisis meeting.
Out of play position
The position of Hoekstra, who has been at the helm of the CDA since December 2020, is not at stake in the consultations, party chairman Huibers said on Monday. According to the NOS, the parliamentary party also supported Hoekstra. The group would discuss it on Monday.
During the elections for the Provincial Council, a large part of the CDA’s supporters in the countryside switched to the BBB. The CDA lost in all but two municipalities. In the States the party is almost halved. According to forecasts, it will be reduced from nine to five seats in the Senate.
National leaders cause annoyance
Drenthe CDA party chairman Robert Kleine was annoyed by national leaders who dominated the provincial elections. According to him, this is partly why the CDA lost so heavily. He doesn’t want to answer the question of how the CDA should proceed and whether Hoekstra should leave.
The leader of the Maastricht CDA party, Gabriëlle Heine, who has criticized her party on Twitter, among other things, thinks that Tuesday’s crisis meeting is mainly intended to let off steam. As far as you can judge, Hoekstra must not resign. She hopes, however, that the party leadership and the national council will take the CDA members’ criticisms of the policy and the course to heart.
The government’s approach to nitrogen is difficult for the CDA. Something will have to change about this, it is felt within the party. Last year, Hoekstra already soured the discussion within the cabinet by saying that the 2030 nitrogen deadline “is not sacred” to him.