Visit by D66 party leader Rob Jetten to the University of Amsterdam feels like familiar territory
During his visit to the student debate platform Room for Discussion, D66 party leader Rob Jetten effortlessly connects with his voters, particularly with his views on Geert Wilders and the climate. He also spoke out about cooperation with Israel. “We want to terminate the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”
Ten new cities, billions for defence and millions for education. Rob Jetten makes many promises in his election programme, but where will he get the money? On several occasions, the interviewers from the student debate platform Room for Discussion (RfD) try to put the D66 party leader on the spot. But it doesn’t get really difficult for Jetten, who settles comfortably into the Chesterfield on stage on Wednesday afternoon to thunderous applause.
Some 375 students and a few staff members have come to the interview with the party leader in the hall of building E on the Roeterseiland campus. Jetten clearly feels at home among the UvA audience and responds dryly with “thanks” to his introduction as “TikTok sensation and party leader”. This is not surprising, as D66 is popular among young voters and UvA students are known for their left-wing voting behaviour.
Yes, he promises a lot, Jetten parries the interviewers’ question. But that is possible, by taking tough action on the tax system and healthcare. “We must stop unproven medical treatments, stop market forces in the region and bring all doctors back into salaried employment.” He also does not want to increase the state pension in line with wages. “It does need to rise a little, but older people are relatively well off, while it is precisely the working population who are struggling to make ends meet.”
Education
In education, the party leader makes a lot of promises. For example, he wants to become the “champion of education investment” again. And he wants to bring more peace to student life with extra money. Together with employers’ organisations VNO-NCW and MKB, he wants to counter the education cuts that the outgoing cabinet still wants to implement.
He also wants to increase the internship allowance to 750 euros per month, just like GroenLinks PvdA, but in combination with an increase in the minimum wage. And the basic grant must also be increased. He does not have the figure at hand. “By 166 euros,” the interviewer reads out.
Emergency Housing Act
The party leader also has many plans for the housing market. Ninety thousand prefab homes should be built in Duivendrecht and in the ports of Amsterdam. There should be a rent allowance for non-self-contained rooms. And Jetten mentions an Emergency Housing Act, which would make it possible to live in vacant offices, large houses and buildings above shops and facilitate house sharing. “I’d like to take the series Friends as an example. How great would it be if four students could share an apartment? Without losing all your benefits?”
But that’s not so easy to achieve, the interviewer points out. That’s right, Jetten replies. “A number of municipalities are complaining a bit about this. They say that house sharing would put too much pressure on the neighbourhood, waste collection, parking permits... All issues for which solutions can easily be found. The government simply has to tell the municipalities: this is something you have to deal with.”
Ultimately, a solution to the housing shortage also boils down to the question: do you dare to ask homeowners for money? According to Jetten, that is the only way forward. “The government should take much tougher action in the areas of housing, climate and public health.”
Climate crusader
The climate is also high on Jetten’s agenda, he promises when asked. “Climate policy is also about housing. About lower energy bills. And about our global competitiveness. Yesterday, it was announced that battery production in China and India has risen so sharply that they are leaving Europe and the US far behind. You can rest assured that the climate crusader in me is still there.”
Cooperation with Israel
The interviewer then broaches a more controversial subject. What is D66’s position on cooperation with Israel? Just last Monday, UvA students and staff demonstrated to sever ties between the UvA and Israeli institutions. The UvA board is leaving its decision on this matter to The Hague.
In the vast majority of polls, D66 is rising slightly in the number of seats in the House of Representatives. The party currently has nine seats in the House of Representatives and is projected to win twelve seats in the polls conducted by peil.nl. This makes D66 the fifth party, after PVV (30 seats), GroenLinks-PvdA (27 seats), CDA (23 seats) and VVD (13).
“We want to terminate the EU-Israel Association Agreement,” Jetten responds. And then he returns the ball. “Two weeks ago, I visited Radboud University. Students and lecturers there were conducting joint research into cooperation with Israel. I think it’s great how you can exchange ideas about this in an academic setting. You don’t need The Hague for that.”
Dictating
Ultimately, however, it is migration that earns Jetten his first round of applause. “For a long time, it was thought that other parties should not talk about migration because that was Geert’s theme. But progressive liberal parties should come up with an alternative. The current migration system is bankrupt. We will have to stand up and say: there will always be new people coming to our country, and they also contribute. I will no longer let Geert Wilders dictate the discussion on migration. We will determine for ourselves what Dutch norms and values are.”
Finally, the party leader makes one more appeal to the students: “For heaven’s sake, go and vote on 29 October. The boomers will be there anyway, and if you stay behind, it won’t be good for the result.”
