Havana in Holland
Wednesday, 8. March 2006, 11:14:46
Yesterday we had elections for the city-council. And God, what a campaign it was! Though it was a local election (for almost all the municipalities in Holland), the national politicians entered the ring for a heavy campaign.And so it came that our dearly beloved Liberals (VVD) started to campaign against the socialists. Don't make The Netherlands a second Cuba, was the message.
Since we have a political system with, unlike e.g. France or the UK, more than two or three parties (in fact, there are about ten parties), there has to be made a coalition of two, three or maybe four of the biggest parties to get a majority of votes. That is as well on the national level as on the local level.
There has been, in the last four years, only one city with a 'red' coalition: Nijmegen. Or as the Liberals want it to say: "Havana aan de Waal" (Havana on the Waal, where the Waal is a river, that goes through the city of Nijmegen.).
Nobody expected that the 'Havana-coalition' would survive, but instead, the citizens are very happy with it. Nijmegen became one of the most social cities and the citizens give the coalition credit for that.
Anyhow, the Liberal Spokesman, Jozias van Aartsen, warned the Netherlands for more "Havana's": Especially for Rotterdam ("Havana aan de Maas"), where four years ago the spirit of Fortuyn started some sort of mini-revolution.
Today, the elections are passed on. And: No Havana aan the Maas so far. In Rotterdam, the local party of the successors of Fortuyn are still popular, but the PvdA (comparable to Labour in the UK) is back there.
No, not Rotterdam. But Amsterdam could be the next Havana. With PvdA (Labour), Groen Links (more socialists) and SP (even more to the left-wing) will have a majority in the city-council.
And so are even more villages and cities that have made a huge 'swing' to the left, like Groningen.
So... I guess it's time for a more left-oriented time. Every four years, the local elections are somewhat of a 'poll' for the national elections that are the year after (in fact: next years May). That's promising.
Because, of course, Castro isn't all that good, but Nijmegen has proved that a progressive coalition can exist, with good financial politics and a social environment where people can feel happy. There won't get any Havana in Holland. But extra social spirit... that's all good!
