Change in top FVD – Elsevier Weekblad

The Forum for Democracy (FVD) summit will change as of September. Group chairman in the Senate Paul Cliteur then hands over his chairmanship to fellow party member Paul Frentrop. He will focus on justice and safety, and will also replace Annabel Nanninga if he is on maternity leave in the autumn. She is spokesperson for immigration and asylum in the Senate.

That is what Cliteur (64) and Frentrop (66) say in conversation with Elsevier Weekblad.

In March 2019, FVD became the largest party in the elections of the Provincial Council, making it the largest party in the senate in one fell swoop. The party returned that position by tweet between party leader Thierry Baudet and Henk Otten. He and Jeroen de Vries, initially with Dorien Rookmaker, form their own group in the senate. FVD now has ten seats in the Senate. The VVD is the largest group with twelve seats.

Cliteur will be leaving university in 2022

In everyday life, lawyer and philosopher Cliteur is professor of Encyclopedia of Legal Science with whom Baudet obtained his doctorate. ‘I will remain affiliated with Leiden University for a year and a half. I will retire in April 2022. Before then, I will need all my attention to guide my PhD students to the promotion and to set up new digital education. It is very difficult to reconcile the chairmanship of the Senate Group of FVD in a year of the elections, ‘says Cliteur.

According to Cliteur, the Upper House fraction unanimously calls Paul Frentrop ‘the most suitable figure to lead the group. He has been involved with Forum from the start and has a broad knowledge of everything and especially about finance. ‘

Frentrop now has more time

“I reached state pension age last week and have more time to do so,” said Frentrop, who is now vice-chairman and chairman of the Finance Committee in the Senate.

The two give the impression that they are having a good time as a parliamentarian. “Ultimately, the Senate is the body that decides whether laws are in accordance with the Constitution. No, we are not in favor of a Constitutional Court, because then you will bring even more power to justice. Then you have no democracy, no bureaucracy, a government by civil servants, but one dictatorship“a government by judges,” says Cliteur, referring to the theme brought up by FVD about judges who would sit in the chair of politics.

The Senate is an archaic institution

Prospective group chairman Frentrop calls the Senate an archaic institute, but one that ‘passes by everything that is decided in the Netherlands. Hundreds of pieces come out every week. No normal person can keep up with that. ”

FVD is in favor of the lifting of the Senate, but the current and forthcoming group chairman say unanimously not to make it a priority. The Forum senators supported another motion in February from the PVV to termination. Frentrop: “First the corrective referendum, then we can talk further.”

FVD is not ignored, the PVV is

The largest opposition group was warmly welcomed in the Senate, according to Cliteur. “We are not being ignored, as I think is far too often the case with the PVV’s interventions. We are too big for that. I find it undemocratic that the five-member PVV rarely interrupts.

Opposition to the opposition says Forum does not want to conduct it in the Senate. The Rutte III cabinet, which relies on a minority in the Senate and each time needs six seats from the opposition, more often than not receives support from FVD. Of the 353 votes in the past political season in the Senate, FVD was 64 times against.

Forum is also still a think tank

With ten MPs, the FVD fraction is five times larger than FVD in the House of Representatives, where Thierry Baudet and Theo Hiddema represent FVD. Baudet is supplied with ammunition from the Senate in the fields of finance, pensions and the rule of law. Attention is also paid to the large amount of European legislation that passes through parliament. This is also being discussed with the two FVD members in the European Parliament. ‘It is informal for all of us. Forum is still a think tank in that respect, ”says Cliteur.

Man in the background becomes the figurehead

Until now, Frentrop was mainly a man in the background within Forum. The former journalist / publicist and professor of corporate governance at Nyenrode, who obtained a PhD on companies and shareholders since the VOC, was party chairman for a while and is involved in the Renaissance Institute, the party’s scientific bureau. Now he also becomes the figurehead of the party in the Senate.

“My motivation to join Forum is that it’s a party of ordinary people,” says Frentrop. “In our group we have a doctor, a dentist, an off-duty general, an air traffic controller, a retired entrepreneur and a former journalist. These are ordinary citizens, while the Senate used to consist mainly of people who have worked in politics all their lives. Who were a Member of Parliament, alderman, mayor or any other public function. We do not want to leave politics to squabbling professionals. We want to give politics back to the citizens. “

You don’t establish a new political party with a gray mouse

Leader Baudet is not exactly ordinary, Frentrop agrees. ‘That is also part of politics. You cannot establish a new political party next to the cartel with an inconspicuous gray mouse. You need to get a little attention. I think we have been successful in this. Theater is also part of it. ‘ Frentrop calls himself “very boring”.

FVD in the Senate is rarely heard. Does the largest opposition party in the Senate have influence? “Just being there means we have influence,” says Cliteur. “That Rutte raged in Brussels, well, then verbally, because he has not achieved much. No no no, is because FVD is there. And yes, also the PVV. “

Voter opinion about EU recovery fund will follow on 17 March 2021

Cliteur is referring to the negotiations about the recovery fund of 750 billion euros with which Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD) in Brussels agreed, only after adjustments stipulated by him, and where FVD and PVV are against. “March 17, 2021 will show what the citizen thinks,” says Cliteur. The elections to the House of Representatives are on that day.

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