Henri Bontenball in an interview with Khaled and Sophie: “A new CDA”

Henry Bontenball, CDA, Khalid and Sufi — Party leader Henri Bontenball after his speech during the CDA party conference.
Photo: Afghan National Police/Jeroen Goumelet

With so many new faces in politics and the upcoming elections, introductions are in order. It is the turn of Henri Bontenball (CDA) to have his say Khaled and Sufi.

Viewers were divided over his performance on the talk show. One thinks it’s a “pleasant surprise,” the other thinks it’s “talking, talking, talking.”

Henry Bontenball of the CDA

“I will ask to make room for another party leader,” he said. Khaled and SufiBroadcaster Sophie Hillebrand. GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans makes way for CDA member Henri Bontenbal in the broadcast. Hilbrand laughs: “Get the CDU out of the doldrums, is that the slogan?”

“No, that’s too negative,” Bontenball says. He thinks it’s a bit like a “job interview.” “To be honest, I’m proud that we were able to take the party to a new level. When I took office there was a lot of negativity and gloom about the future of the party,” says Bontenball.

Make something new

The party leader points out that things are going “very badly.” He points to numbers 2 and 3 on the list: “We dared, as a party, to bring about generational change.” “We’re going to create something new.”

Khaled and Sufi He compiled “A Place for a Campaign” for Pontenball, which sets the tone for the party with an upbeat song. “It’s better than us,” Bontenball says. He makes a suggestion: “We’ll trade it.”

“I” or “we” policy.

In the video, 3 seats were confirmed for the Christian Democratic Party from the ballot boxes. “Voters went to the BBB or Peter Omtzgut’s new party,” Hillebrand said. “These two parties more or less embody the old Christian Democrats. ‘We close everything’, was that even possible? According to Bontenball, this analysis is ‘very superficial’.”

So what’s the big difference? “There will always be an overlap. I also overlap with the Social Democrats. They expanded the welfare state with the Christian Democrats. Politics can be divided into parties that are very focused on the ‘I’ and on the other hand are focused on the ‘We,'” says Pontenbal.

Leader of the list in Khaled and Sufi

Pontenbal believes that in recent years, greater emphasis has been placed on market and individual thinking. “Take immigration, for example. These are issues that can only be resolved with a high degree of solidarity.”

Guest tablemate Khaled and SufiRoss Apelman no longer understands what the CDA stands for now that “your former party leader has started applying for a job at the European Commission with a completely different platform than he had previously with the CDA”. In this sense, this is Bontenball’s “fate,” he says. “I could review 150 years of CDA in every program.”

“Although fans find it complicated.”

Bontenball says the “old Christian Democratic Party” is more likely to be with the new parties it left behind, rather than the “true Christian Democratic Party” that “wants to innovate.”

“We are choosing hard politics. The BBB and NSC specifically voted against the distribution law, when there is already a big problem. They will defend the areas where there are problems, but in the end they walk away by voting against it. The founding body drafting the bill is still voting in favour. This law, although some of its supporters also find it complicated.

Responsibility party

Bontenball says he’s not a fan of campaign strategies that contain “simple statements.” “In the end, a party always does, because there has to be something on the poster. But I support a broader story. We need to move towards a sense of community, more solidarity and the importance of values and norms.”

According to Pontenbal, a lot has changed with what “has happened in recent decades.” The party leader does not like the parties in power. “We are a responsible party. We are here to serve. I see a lot of populism, easy scoring. The CDA will also try to make the Netherlands more beautiful in opposition.”

Decent politician

The language spoken in the House is extremely harsh, with obscenities and assumptions flying. “It’s about internalizing words. You have to be a respectable politician,” says Pontenball. “Words in the House reach the community quickly through social media.”

Bontenbal points out that this creates threats in society, which means that soon no one will want to run the country or be part of a team of experts. “It’s important that we keep mentioning that. Younger MPs who have been there less look at it and see that it has become a ‘crazy group culture’ in the House.

“CDA’s greenest member ever”

However, Hillebrand believes that Pontenball would have fared better at the Wopke Hoekstra climatic site in Europe. “You are the greenest member of the CDA we have ever had. How would you like to jump on Frans Timmermans’ back?”

It’s an “achievement” Timmermans has achieved, Bontenball says. But they also differ. For example about nuclear energy. “This has to become part of the mix,” Bontenball says. “We shouldn’t be having a discussion about nuclear power like we had in the 1960s, so a little more pragmatism from Rob Gitten would be nice,” Bontenball told Timmermans. Khaled and Sufi. “Then we can continue climate policy very well.”

You can watch Khaled and Sophie via never.

Mother Evelyn Humberto tells for the first time about Thijs H., who killed three people during a psychosis

Spotted an error? Mail to us. We are grateful to you.

comments

Hannah Patton

“Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Freelance organizer. Avid analyst. Friendly troublemaker. Bacon junkie.”