The atmosphere should have been totally festive for this meeting announced as “historical” And ” Magic ” of the Dutch left. Upon their arrival at the Ahoy complex, a huge concert and sporting event venue in the suburbs of Rotterdam, the crowd of environmentalists and socialists, arm in arm for the first time, were quickly brought back to harsh reality. of the war. “Palestine will be free”, shouted a woman carrying a flag at the entrance. And this electoral congress, the first major gathering of the campaign in view of the legislative elections of November 22, began with a minute of silence in memory of the Israeli and Palestinian victims.
For the leadership of the Green Left (GroenLinks) and that of the Labor Party (PvdA, socialist), long rivals, there could be no question of displaying the slightest division during this founding event, supposed to mark the possible end of the reign of the Liberals and Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in power for thirteen years. The conflict in Gaza, however, threatened to open a first breach: ecologists, and some socialists too, criticized Frans Timmermans, who will lead the united “red-green” list, of having reacted to the terrorist acts of Hamas without sufficiently mentioning the oppression of Palestinians by Israel.
A consultation prior to the gathering with the authors of a very critical motion resulted in the adoption of a compromise text which the former first vice-president of the European Commission took up in his final speech. “Humanity cannot be a victim of Hamas and the reaction to Hamas”, did he declare. He insisted on fate “unacceptable” reserved for children from both camps and he promised that, if voters gave him the opportunity, he would ensure that his country contributes to the establishment of a two-state solution.
These comments seemed insufficient to Green MP Kauthar Bouchallikht, who decided, after the congress, to withdraw from the list of candidates. “I am surprised and sad”commented on X (formerly Twitter) Jesse Klaver, the director of GroenLinks.
Awakening “the fire of solidarity”
The asylum policy – at the origin of the anticipated fall of the Rutte IV government in July – the abolition of the monarchy in favor of a ” parliamentary republic “the increase in the minimum hourly wage, free public transport and the collaboration of parties with “grassroots” social movements: all these subjects required compromises between the sometimes radical positions of the “greens” and the reformism of the “greens”. red”.
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