Bruijn has since expressed regret and will seek outside guidance for an “improvement process”. “He has decided that he himself thinks he can continue,” says political journalist Mats Akkerman.
As happened in the case of Education Minister Dennis Wiersma who resigned on Thursday evening, there is a risk that after these first complaints not all the bad stories about Bruijn’s behavior will be revealed. Until now, only stories are known about his time as president of the Senate. “If he stays with this story and he improves on it, that shouldn’t be a problem going forward,” Akkerman says.
Strategic move
While the largest party in the Senate is traditionally allowed to supply the president, Akkerman believes there are several possible explanations for the BBB’s choice to back Bruijn’s candidacy. ‘The BBB is a new party, they have sixteen senators sitting in them for the first time. It’s quite difficult if you have to lead all those debates, you don’t know all the procedures yet and then suddenly you’re the president and you have to lead all those 75 senators.’
But it could also be a strategic move by the BBB. The coalition has only 24 seats in the Senate and can achieve a majority with only two parties: GroenLinks or BBB. “This may be a gesture to the coalition of: We support your candidate, but then we hope you’ll work with us in the Senate in the future, and not that leftist combination,” Akkerman said.
I’m not sure yet
With the backing of the BBB and coalition parties, there’s a good chance Bruijn will be re-elected president, but that’s not certain yet. “Only the vote is anonymous, so if there are people in the coalition who are not in favor of him, they can vote against.”
Applicants can register until two o’clock today. Mei Li Vos of the PvdA is said to be running as a candidate, Akkerman knows. “I can imagine that a coalition party like D66 would prefer the left in the Senate and House of Representatives, so maybe D66 senators would support his candidacy and Bruijn doesn’t have a majority after all.”