CDA Leader Henri Bontenbal Classically Parried the Criticism on Saturday that the party would be Left-Wing. “We are not left, we are not right. We are Christian Democrats,” he said in his speech at the party congress.
The Meeting in Rotterdam Felt Like A Warm Bath for Bontenbal. He was recurred with loud applause by the hundreds of Enthusiastic CDA Members.
Two years ago it was very different. After Turbulent Years, The Party was in Poor Shape in the Polls. And virtual no one in the country had Heard of Bontenbal, who had just leg elected as party leader.
Now things are going well for him. With his Story of “Decent Politics”, Bontenbal Has Far overtaken The VVD in the Polls.
This also mean that criticism from other parties is increasing. But they like to embrace that at the cda. “The more criticism, the Better it Goes,” Said Former Leader and Former Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende at the Congress.
Gradually Reduce MortGage Interest Relief in Thirty Years
The Arrows Have Indeed Already Been Aimed at the CDA in recent weeks. Vincent Karremans, Outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs and Number Four on the VVD Candidate List, For Example, Called Bontenbal “A Left-Wing CDA Member” Who “Shouts ‘Decency’ Fifteen Thousand Times”.
The CDA Wants To Gradually Reduce MortGage Interest Relief – A Tax Benefit For Homeowners – Over The Next Thirty Years. The Party is offsetting this with a reduction in Income Tax.
The Proposal Has Been with With Strong Criticism from the Right. “Hands off your own home,” it sounded from PVV, VVD and BBB. Accordance to Bontenbal, It is a “Courageous and Necessary Choice” and Does Not Make the Party Left-Wing.
“The CDA is Charting Its Own Autonomous Course and Will Not Be Locked Into Boxes That Others Devise for Us,” Said Bontenbal. “We are not left, we are not right. We are Christian Democrats. And I would like to say to Everyone: get used to it.”
Bontenbal Points to Similarities with GL-PvdA and VVD
Bontenbal is Empatically Tryping to Position himself in the Middle. Hey Wants To “Take Responsibility” After the Elections and Emphasizes That The Netherlands is a Coalition Country. “We will have to work together across party boundaries.”
Anyone who looks at the current polls sees indeed a major role for the cda. The PVV is Currently Leading in The Polls, but is excluded by Almost All parties. The VVD has also closed that by again.
GL-Pvda, CDA and VVD Complete the Top Four. In His Speech, Bontenbal Cautiously Sought Rapprochement with the Two Other Parties in the Area of Migration. “The VVD, GL-Pvda and the CDA All Want to Focus on Modernate Population Growth,” He said.
But Bontenbal did not want to anticipate a dream coalition. AltheHe He does not see “Only Left or Right Happening Quickly”.