Although attention is already focused on the elections to parliament in 2021, the municipal elections are also quite interesting. A group of Forum for Democracy members start a new party in Oisterwijk and fly out of the corner on the internet. In the Eemsdelta, PVVs turn up at local parties. A party leader of the VVD in Boxtel hides his political past.
Every autumn there are reclassification elections in a few municipalities that merge or are split up. So they can go on 1 January start with the new municipality. Op 18 November there will be elections in four municipalities in the Netherlands.
WE! oisterwijk
In Noord-Brabant, Haaren is split up and the territory goes to three neighboring municipalities. One of those municipalities that sees its territory growing is Oisterwijk. The new game WE! Oisterwijk has already disintegrated before even one vote has been cast. The candidate Kim Tjoa (1965) launched his views on the Covid pandemic, misusing a yellow Star of David with a background reminiscent of concentration camp clothing. In addition, Tjoa compared the corona policy with the Second World War: 'The same happened in 1940-1945'. According to Tjoa, the government consists of "traitors’. Some of his party members did not like this and split off. Before this break occurred, it seemed like there was a common denominator within WE! Oisterwijk was the one that acted as a binding factor. Various candidates are members or fans of Forum for Democracy. Kim Tjoa is a supporter of the philosophy of Forum for Democracy and the van WIJ! Oisterwijk split-off candidate Toin Verhoeven (1958) has been a member for several years.
The other split-off candidate Eric Knaapen (1962) shows his fondness for Forum for Democracy on social media. In addition, Eric Knaapen flies off the bend by posting an insulting message about the Ghanaian-Dutch activist Akwasi. Knaapen writes down 30 oktober: “Procedure for eviction of that pancake would be the best solution. Just back to his coconut tree. We can't do anything with these mentally ill people in the Netherlands.”
A week after the split in October, Kim Tjoa is again part of a scandal surrounding corona. There will then be a photo in the media on which he stands together with the North Brabant deputy Peter Smit at a barbecue party of the Forum for Democracy in July. Obviously, there is not a meter and a half distance. Peter Smit (1960) also comes from Oisterwijk municipal politics and had to step down there in April as an alderman. His local party wanted nothing to do with Forum for Democracy.
Boxtel
Rob Kuppens is in the neighboring municipality of Boxtel (1984) the party leader of the VVD. He studied in Nijmegen and was in 2006 regional coordinator East Netherlands of the Young Fortuynisten. That was a fairly radical youth movement of the LPF. He came there at meetings with, for example, the current PVV senator Alexander van Hattem, who was chairman of the Jonge Fortuynisten. In the Provincial Council of North Brabant, Van Hattem is now also the chairman of the PVV faction. In 2006 Rob Kuppens, however, already supported Geert Wilders' brand-new Party for Freedom during the election. He put the same in 2007 at the party One for Freedom from Olof Wullink. He put one of the supporting signatures both times, required for a party to participate in the elections. Party leader Olof Wullink wanted to stimulate a merger or collaboration between the PVV and EénNL of Marco Pastors and Joost Eerdmans with his party. In second place of One for Freedom stood at the time Vincent Teunissen (1974) kandidaat. That man was recently convicted of planning a terrorist attack on Muslims. Rob Kuppens completely hides this political past in his presentation as party leader for the VVD.
Eemsdelta
In fact, the Eemsdelta in Northeast Groningen is the only new municipality in these elections. Delfzijl, Loppersum and Appingedam merge here. The PVV councilor Johan Schanssema (1968) will leave Delfzijl in September 2020 from the PVV. He announces that he will be a candidate for the new “Youth party Eemsdelta”. He is not the only PVV who has dropped out to make this switch. Michael Groeneveld is also on the candidate list of the Youth Party (1988) and the not so young Geert van der Laan anymore (1957). That duo was in 2018 busy with the game 5 for 12, that was split off from the local PVV department. 5 for 12 did not win a single seat, however. The national press then dived into a scandal after Michael Groeneveld released information about the involvement of PVVer Jan Wekema in the “outlaw motorcycle club” Black Sheep MC, where Groeneveld himself had hung out for three years.
Talk about outlaws, around the elections 2018 Michael Groeneveld commits a burglary at his former employer with Geert van der Laan and his son. He wanted to retaliate for his dismissal. Michael Groeneveld got a small one community service voor and Geert van der Laan was declared guilty, but was not punished. A look at an internet profile of Groeneveld gives an impression of where his interests now lie. That goes from the Hells Angels, via the army and arms trade to the Forum for Democracy and the PVV. He includes a photo of himself as an ISAF soldier in Afghanistan with an automatic rifle.
A Senior Party Eemsdelta is also active in Eemsdelta as a counterpart to the Youth Party. There, too, an ex-PVV appears. Martin van der Laan (1962) is a candidate because he would not get an eligible place at the PVV. Now the PVV as a party organization in Delfzijl has evaporated, so he may have made the right choice.
Update 22 november:
– WE! Oisterwijk will not get any seats
– Eemsdelta, neither the Youth Party nor the Seniors Party will win seats
– In Boxtel, the VVD gets two seats and Rob Kuppens is elected
