Eric Kemperman, member of the Senate and the Provincial Council of Gelderland, is leaving the BBB faction and continuing independently. Kemperman and the party disagree on several issues, according to an explanation to ANP.
Kemperman’s departure was announced on Monday evening. In a message on the site, BBB states that “Mr. Kemperman announced today that he will be leaving the BBB faction in the Senate and the faction in the Provincial Council of Gelderland.” Furthermore, BBB said it regretted the decision. Kemperman wants to keep his seats.
According to the former BBB member, there is a difference of opinion. This concerns, for example, “issues of war and peace, the COVID policy, restricting freedoms, nature and agriculture, and the housing crisis.” He had already shared these substantive differences with the BBB.
Kemperman also has trouble with the fact that “social housing is being used as political bargaining chips.” He refers to the freezing of social rents that emerged from the spring budget negotiations.
Kemperman wants to keep his seats because he “still has a lot to say,” he tells ANP. “After a life as an entrepreneur, I made choices and put time and energy into politics.”
BBB Remains Largest Party in Senate
Kemperman has been in the Senate since June 2023 and was the BBB faction’s spokesperson for Housing. He was also chairman of the Senate Committee for Infrastructure and Water Management and Housing, but he is resigning from that chairmanship.
With sixteen seats, the BBB was the largest party in the Senate. Even after Kemperman’s departure, the BBB remains the largest party in the Senate, followed by GroenLinks-PvdA (14 seats).
The coalition already did not have a majority in the Senate and therefore had to look for extra parties for a majority. Kemperman has indicated that, despite his departure from the BBB, he hopes to work constructively with these and other parties.