Zacht Ei - Rietveld switches sides and moves to the 'no' camp

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Rietveld switches sides and moves to the 'no' camp

I've said it before, David Rietveld is the one remaining sane member of the Dutch Green Party (GroenLinks). Now he proves it once more. While his party supports the EU constitution, David won't:

'History shows that obstructionists have always been compensated by the EU. For years it's been the sole negotiation tactic of the French. The British "got their money back" that way, the Danes have created more room for themselves. The Netherlands are the highest contributor per capita to the EU. I don't mind paying for a good cause, but then I want to have a say in it. And I won't settle for weak compromises just because they're easy.'

Indeed.

21:19

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Zacht Ei,

How would you describe the mix of those in the Non/Nee? Greens, Socialists, Communist, Liberals, Nationalists. Generally speaking these people have 0 in common. Would love to hear if anyone has discovered a "common thread."

Zazva (ip:69.140.64.10) 25 May 2005 - 23:17 uur

Opportunism, in part. As far as Marijnissen (Socialist Party) and Wilders (Groep Wilders) are concerned: nationalism. The Socialist Party tends to be very strict on 'foreign influences', picking up the bits of estranged electorate that the Labour Party/PvdA doesn't dare to pick up out of fear of estranging their pc middle class voters. So there's this strange situation in which a left-wing party is about as xenophobic (and europhobic) as Mr. Wilders (whom I don't think much of, as opposed to Mr. Fortuyn).

In other words, I don't think too highly of most parties in the no camp. Then again, I don't think too higly of most parties in the yes camp either ;-)

Rietveld is a different case. He's an idealist, but not blinded by reality. He's willing to go against the party line if he deems it necessary. He's the kind of reasonably reasonable left-wing voice a redneck such as myself could only dare hope to hear more often ;-) I still have several bets running on how long he'll last at GroenLinks.

Arjan Dasselaar (ip:82.161.93.35) 25 May 2005 - 0:02 uur

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Rietveld switches sides and moves to the 'no' camp

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