A summary of yesterday’s Final Debate of the political parties of the Municipality of Eindhoven.
20:38
GreenLeft and CDA clash over traffic
Eindhoven must be better accessible, that is what the parties agree on. But opinions differ on how to achieve this.
GroenLinks party leader Rik Thijs advocates increasing the parking fees and using the proceeds to introduce free public transport. CDA list leader Remco van Dooren says that the parking fees are already very high and he does not want to burden the residents any further with costs.
Henk Jager of ChristenUnie (christian union) says that Eindhoven should be at the helm of the bus company again. In other words, a municipal transport company instead of Hermes.
20:55
LPF and Volt argue in favour of nuclear energy
List leader Rudy Reker of Lijst Pim Fortuyn (list Pim Fortuyn) believes that nuclear energy is a crucial element in solving the climate problem. Only then can we get rid of gas and sufficiently reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The new Volt party also argues in favour of this, even if only as a bridging measure. List leader Jacco Rubenkamp believes that the energy transition should eventually lead to sustainable alternatives such as solar and wind energy. But he believes nuclear energy is also needed temporarily. GreenLeft party leader Rik Thijs warns that 30 per cent of the raw materials needed for nuclear energy come from Russia. So it is not a solution to become less dependent on the political situation in Russia.
21:11
Discussion about social policy for those on minimum income and the homeless
There are too many people in Eindhoven who cannot make ends meet, list leader Mieke Verhees of the PvdA says. The policy of the Municipality of Eindhoven should be aimed more at supporting them, she says. VVD leader Lex Janssen thinks that a lot is actually happening for those groups. “There are less and less people living in poverty. The measures we have taken are having an effect”.
Hugo van Rooij from Gewoon Eindhoven (simply Eindhoven) pleads especially for better policy regarding the homeless. “A homeless person spending a day in shelter costs €500. Per day! With a more efficient policy you can help them better!” Van Rooij has been active in helping the homeless for many years.
21:50
VVD outraged about swastikas on election posters
In recent days, the VVD (people’s party for freedom and democracy) had to remove swastikas painted on them by opponents. According to list leader Lex Janssen, the swastikas were painted by supporters of ‘Eindhoven Kan Het’ (Eindhoven can do it). In the Final Debate he addresses PvdA-leader Mieke Verhees on this matter, because she had earlier participated in a demonstration of this organisation. Verhees distances herself from the actions of ‘Eindhoven Kan Het’.
22:02
Forum: Eindhoven was too strict with corona rules
Eindhoven should have been more flexible with corona measures. Fines for entrepreneurs who committed minor offences were far too excessive. That is what Nicolas Knoester, the Eindhoven list leader of Forum voor Democratie, says. PvdA (labour party) list leader Mieke Verhees says that it is easy to judge with hindsight. At the beginning of the pandemic, a lot was still unclear, she says. “And it is national policy. This is not my cabinet”.
22:38
Not everyone who needs care gets it
The care in Eindhoven for the vulnerable is inadequate. This is not only the opinion of Dré Rennenberg of the Ouderen Appèl (eldery appeal) – coalition parties GroenLinks (green left party) and CDA (christian democrats) also acknowledge this. “We have taken responsibility, because that was necessary”, Rik Thijs of GroenLinks says. But Rennenberg finds that too easy: “There was a deficit, but now there is money left over. €100 million has been taken away from people who need care. That is unacceptable”.
22:13
One wing – everyone dead
FVD-(forum for democracy) leader Knoester thinks that all corona measures of the past two years were unnecessary. He refers to some states in the US, where according to him hardly any problems were caused by these measures.
The laconic attitude of FvD in the discussion about the corona measures is not to the liking of 50Plus leader Ruud van Acquoij. “If you look at a ward in an elderly care centre. One new resident brings in corona, and a moment later everyone was dead. Do you think that’s normal!”
