VVD member Bruijn is expected to be re-elected president now that newcomer and largest party in the Senate BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) has indicated it supports re-election. Bruijn was president of the senate in the previous period and is now provisional president. The BBB has sixteen seats and does not have its own candidate.
With seats for the BBB and ten for the VVD, Bruijn seems certain of the necessary 38 votes in favour. The combined party of GroenLinks and PvdA is the second largest party in the Senate with fourteen seats. Vos ran as candidate last Friday.
Politicized
The political battle between VVD and PvdA/GroenLinks symbolizes a highly politicized body, says former Senator Rosenthal (VVD). “I’d almost say, apparently that’s the way it is.” But this causes much-needed tension in the Senate, he thinks. ‘Self reflection room the Senate should calmly look at the bills that have been introduced. These need to be refined in terms of legal and international law. And we have to look at social support for a law.’ And there are many political sides to this, Rosenthal thinks.
‘As a thinking chamber, the Senate must look calmly at the bills presented’
The focus on the Senate president’s election provides another picture of the current zeitgeist, Rosenthal indicates. ‘When I became party leader in the Senate, I dealt with other party chairmen whose names were completely unknown in the Netherlands. It’s very different now.’
The VVD member’s candidacy came under pressure after reports of misconduct. Bruijn was said to have behaved in an authoritarian and nasty manner towards employees, and even had outbursts of anger, the NOS reported based on its own investigation.
Aimed at behavior
In a reply, Bruijn said he has been “rightly” held accountable for his behavior in the past, but denies there were any outbursts of anger. Bruijn’s “recently experienced vulnerability” as president hasn’t stopped him from running again, he writes in his motivation letter. ‘On the contrary.’
“Jan Anthonie Bruijn learned his lesson”
He promises to maintain “a good working relationship between the official and political organisation”. As chairman, he wants to foster a “working relationship where open communication and coordination on working methods and expectations are standard.” In this way it will also be possible to guarantee to all the subjects involved the attention to social security that the Chamber expects ».
Lesson learned
According to Rosenthal, Jan Anthonie Bruijn has ‘learned his lesson’ but also cannot ‘afford further situations’. In this regard, according to Rosenthal, he will have to “walk on eggshells and will have to very emphatically seek the support of the chancellor who will have to immediately point out issues that should actually be changed in the management of the Senate”.