Dutch Parliament Bids Farewell to 70 MPs as New Era Dawns
THE HAGUE – A wave of change swept through the Dutch Parliament today as seventy departing Members of Parliament (MPs) received farewells,marking the end of their terms following the November 2023 elections. The session, filled with both poignant reflection and lighthearted tributes, acknowledged the contributions of veteran lawmakers and rising stars alike, as a new political landscape takes shape.
Speaker of the House, Martin Bosma, led the farewells, expressing particular sympathy for Laurens Dassen, now the sole remaining member of his volt faction after the party lost its seats. Bosma also noted his regret over the departure of Willem Boutkan of the PVV, recalling a story of Boutkan initially being unaware of his election victory until his wife changed the television channel. Bosma praised Boutkan’s “golden voice.”
The outgoing MPs were remembered for their individual strengths. Bosma described the departure of CDA member Eline Vedder,a working farmer,as making the House “a bit more killer.” Reinbert Blaauw (PVV) was lauded for his concise writing, while BBB’s Pierik was recognized for his ability to clarify complex issues using bar charts and tables. GroenLinks-PvdA’s Geert Gabriëls earned a humorous mention for introducing the term “jerk mouse” to parliamentary discourse.
several MPs may return to the House should current members be appointed to cabinet positions, including VVD’s Simone richardson, who has previously filled vacancies four times, and Bart Bikkers, who narrowly missed out on a seat.
A standing ovation was given to SP member Van Nispen,who served for over 4,000 parliamentary days. Van Nispen urged the media to shift focus from political turmoil to the ample work conducted behind the scenes, citing his own submission of 1060 motions – all “equally good,” he joked to CDA leader Bontenbal, who has advocated for reducing the number of motions.
The departure of Frans Timmermans, leader of GroenLinks-PvdA, was also acknowledged. Absent from the farewell session,Timmermans resigned on election night after exit polls indicated a meaningful loss for his party,taking “full responsibility” for the outcome. Bosma hailed Timmermans as “a phenomenon” and “one of the most influential politicians of the past twenty years.”
