Voted

[Hazir]

I just voted in the municipal elections in The Netherlands, in total I cast 4 votes; I voted by proxy for Ronald and for myself. The elections were for the council of the city of Amsterdam and a separate council for the city center. In all cases I voted for the VVD (liberal comes closest to that, with liberal in its traditional meaning).

My main raison for voting the way I did is that I think it is about time the power or the Pvda (Labour) in my city is broken. They have been in power for as long as I can remember and it shows; nothing in the city is the way it should be; projects take forever and a day to be finished and they all go over budget in such a bad way that they might as well just have given the keys to the coffers of the city to the developers.

Some fine examples of this; building of a single metro line decided upon in 1997, started in 2003, work disrupts traffic in pretty much all of the inner city since then. Digging of the tunnels is about to start and foreseen completion is in 2017 at a cost of (everybody hopes) €2bn. The line is about 10km, less than half of which underground. It was supposed to be operative next year at a cost of €1.46bn.

Renovation of the Rijksmuseum, only one of the most important museums in Amsterdam and an important reason why tourists come to this city at all. This also started in 2003, and deo volente in 2013 we may again walk in its halls to see the old masters. Which is 5 years later than planned in 2003. How much this project costs is everybody's guess as the project is so confusing that nobody really knows what the bigger picture is. Anywhere between €250 and half a billion is my best guess.

[Ziggy Stardust]

If I had lived in Amsterdam I probably would have voted VVD as well even though I'm a raging leftie. Totally stumped what to vote for in Tilburg. I did try to inform myself. Went on stemwijzer (SP ... Nah!) to get a clue.

If I still don't know when I'm in the booth it's going to be the first female Marroconian name I can find.

[Dreadnaught]

I think it's always good to do things like this. A lot of the major cities in the US are virtual one party fiefdoms. It leads to sluggishness and cronyism.

[Hazir]

I think it's always good to do things like this. A lot of the major cities in the US are virtual one party fiefdoms. It leads to sluggishness and cronyism.

Well, for more than a century the only interruption in the rule of Labour in this city was the German occupation. I think it would go a bit far to ask the Germans back, but a lot of people in this city aren't far off from that point. Let's hope there are enough voters this time to reduce them to the opposition.

[Flixy]

If I had lived in Amsterdam I probably would have voted VVD as well even though I'm a raging leftie. Totally stumped what to vote for in Tilburg. I did try to inform myself. Went on stemwijzer (SP ... Nah!) to get a clue.

If I still don't know when I'm in the booth it's going to be the first female Marroconian name I can find.

I'm voting D66 in EIndhoven, I agree with most of their points. Otherwise it'd have been VVD too, I think. Don't trust the local PvdA and SP. And well, no chance in hell i'm going for LPF, leefbaar eindhoven or the partij voor mens & spirit

This was pretty hilarious though:

[Hazir]

Wow, the participation rate is real low today. Here in Amsterdam at 18.00 we had little over 26%. That's bad on the one side, on the other it probably means I might get what I want; a massive defeat of Labour in this city. It seems that their voters are the ones that are staying home today.

The national average stood at 46% at 19.00 with an exception for The Hague, one of two cities where people can vote for the PVV (right wing anti muslim organisation, technically not a political party)

[Hazir]

56% turn out nationally. No results yet, because all votes are hand counted (again).

[Dreadnaught]

Is this one of those national election days for municipal spots? Or wasn't the whole Dutch government up for election?

[Ziggy Stardust]

Is this one of those national election days for municipal spots? Or wasn't the whole Dutch government up for election?

That'll be the 9th of june when we have to elect a new government, but that election weighed heavy on this one since the government just fell.

[Hazir]

God, I still can't believe it. I should be more careful with what I wish for in the future. We got rid of Labour alright in the elections for the sub-council, but got the Greens back in stead. As for the City council, Labour was decimated, but again this probably means a move to the left for the new city government too. I really can't understand how people voted for a party that seems to have as its purpose to turn this city into a sleepy little village.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Well, it's a step up from construction site

[Hazir]

Always the little Polyanna aren't you

Looking at the bigger picture; I won't put any money on having a new government before the end of the year. PVV could, on the basis of last nights results become the first or second party (I seriously hope the parties in Almere and The Hague aren't going to go for a boycot, because that will only make PVV bigger). After that I don't see how they can for a coalition to govern with.

Maybe if PVV is willing to tolerate a minority government by CDA, VVD and D66, but that would be really a novum and hard to imagine as a serious alternative.

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's a mess isn't it. Hard to be Polyannitical about that

Almost every party has a reason not to form a coalition with another party. CDA, VVD, D66 gets you, what, 60-70 seats? And I believe PVV would be very willing to accept an outcome which will leave them at the sidelines shouting abuse, hoping for more mayhem. TON won't be co-operative and the whole left will throw a fit. Quite difficult to get any majority on issues. And I am very hesitant to trust Balkenende with his 5th, FIFTH! Holy Incompetent Mother of Christ! FIIIIIIFT!, sorry, with his 5th attempt to not crash and burn.

[Dreadnaught]

How many policy levers do municipal governments have over there, and what do the Greens want? All I can see is articles about PVV winning stuff.

[Hazir]

The levers are limited since they hardly have any independent source of income left besides property taxes which are subject to national consent as well. Besides this they can have a real impact on small but important things for somebody who lives in the center of the city. They are the ones who've got zoning in their remit.

They could also jack up parking fees for example, or reduce the number of parking spots making it from almost impossible to really impossible to obtain a parking license this side of eternity.

I suppose they're going to do away with heated side walk terraces too.

There is some hope that their win may actually mean the Greens will be pushed out from the City government because Labour may be inclined to work with the Liberals and Social Liberals considering that their coalition with the Greens got them hammered yesterday. (They are still the biggest party in the city, but reduced by about 1/3)

The real fun will be the national elections on june 9th. Really, I don't think we'll have another government this year. Wouldn't even surprise me if we have new elections because of this. Unseen before; two elections and no government in between.

Ziggy, I don't really think Balkenende will come back; PVV could very well demand his head in return for their consent. Better get ready for Verhagen I.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Ziggy, I don't really think Balkenende will come back; PVV could very well demand his head in return for their consent. Better get ready for Verhagen I.

Thanks for trying to cheer me up

Now I feel ill.

[Flixy]

It's a mess isn't it. Hard to be Polyannitical about that

Almost every party has a reason not to form a coalition with another party. CDA, VVD, D66 gets you, what, 60-70 seats? And I believe PVV would be very willing to accept an outcome which will leave them at the sidelines shouting abuse, hoping for more mayhem. TON won't be co-operative and the whole left will throw a fit. Quite difficult to get any majority on issues. And I am very hesitant to trust Balkenende with his 5th, FIFTH! Holy Incompetent Mother of Christ! FIIIIIIFT!, sorry, with his 5th attempt to not crash and burn.

You actually think TON stands a chance of getting any success??

I'm reasonably happy with the local outcome here, socialists and labor lost a lot and D66 and VVD were the big winners.

Poor Johan Vlemmix, I heard an interview on the radio with him last night, he actually expected to do great, and then launch a national campaign for june. But he was wiped out (Only0,8% )

I don't see, with the current polls, any reasonable, working government. I'm inclined to let PVV in a coalition and fuck up like the LPF did, because well, they are incompetent. Have you ever seen an interview with them??

[Ziggy Stardust]

I'm inclined to let PVV in a coalition and fuck up like the LPF did, because well, they are incompetent. Have you ever seen an interview with them??

PVV has already manouvered themselves in such a way that there's no way for the major parties to cooperate with them. They're willing to compromise on anything, except raising the aow age. And lo and behold, that makes it impossible for them to be in a coalition. So they can whine and complain afterwards "we wanted to compromise, but the 'cordon sanitaire' was in place, woe is us Now we have no option than going into the opposition and bitch for another 4 (3? 2?) years"

And moron Wilders supporters will lap it up and go: "Yah!"

[Lewkowski]

Interesting thing about voting... your vote probably don't matter! Its a message I think is important to spread.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Interesting thing about voting... your vote probably don't matter! Its a message I think is important to spread.

Que?

[Hazir]

First head to roll; Agnes Kant, leader of the socialist party has resigned. I don't think she will be missed.

And wtf was she thinking doing that cart wheel?

[Flixy]

First head to roll; Agnes Kant, leader of the socialist party has resigned. I don't think she will be missed.

And wtf was she thinking doing that cart wheel?

I still think Johan Vlemmix' head rolled first.

But no, I won't miss her, though I don't think her party's failure was due to her.

Also, Lewk is a dumbass

[Hazir]

Last night I heard on TV that some 'relevant' people in the CDA leadership would like to see Balkenende go. (Frits Wester)

[Hazir]

What I noticed watching TV yesterday about the aftermath of the elections in Almere where Wilder's PVV came in first was that when they did some street interviews with voters all PVV voters belonged to minority groups themselves. Two women upset about the vote were white middle class. And then of course we had a headscarfed woman (moroccan judging by the model of the scarf) who feigned surprise and then said she had no comment.