The brutal victory of BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) ​​in the county council elections came as a surprise to many people, but not to journalist Joris Luyendijk. “Every few years they build a new clown.”

“First they built Wilders, then they built Verdonk, then Baudet and now Caroline van der Plas again,” Luyendijk explains in his statement on The Friday Move. So a new clown. Then they split that again after a year and a half, and then they build a new one again.

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According to Luyendijk, much of the problem lies with the Hague press, which he says finds it difficult to “present the major issues of our time in such a way that we see the dilemmas and the sacrifices”. “It’s much easier to tell a story about someone who may or may not be popular.” He calls it horse racing journalism. “Because the major parties fall apart, we regularly get someone who is only allowed to appear if they act like a clown.”

Management crisis

Political journalist Sophie van Leeuwen does not entirely agree with Luyendyk. “It’s Caroline van der Plas who speaks the language of the people,” she counters. You cannot deny that there is a huge governance crisis. Rutie hasn’t solved the problem in twelve years, and people don’t feel heard. So you can call it a clown, but it’s a clear signal from the voter that something is very wrong with the Netherlands. This is not only the fault of the press in The Hague.

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Luyendijk also sees a particular problem with Van der Plas and the BBB being treated differently in the media than “other serious parties offering an alternative”. He cites SP and Party for the Animals as examples. Doors are opening everywhere for Caroline van der Plas, so stop being merry. Then you split it just as hard.