After losing the race for the EU presidency, Premier Jan Peter Balkenende not only remains empty-handed but also faces opposition accusations that his credibility has been dented. Fellow-ministers frenetically tried to remove this picture Friday.
The ministers one by one declared to journalists Friday ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting that they are pleased Balkenende is staying in the Netherlands. He is not damaged by the post of ‘president of Europe’ being awarded to Belgian Premier Herman Van Rompuy on Thursday.
“It would have been a different story if (Balkenende) had actively tried to get away,” said Education Minister Ronald Plasterk, suggesting that the premier had made no such attempts. Vice-Premier Wouter Bos had a slightly more candid view: “I would certainly have been happy for him, but now I am glad we can finish off the (domestic) job together”.
Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen stressed that Balkenende was never officially a candidate for the post. The Netherlands, he added, supported the appointment of Van Rompuy. “An extremely able man who can bridge differences within Europe well.”
Social Affairs Minister Piet Hein Donner blamed the press for having created a “enormous hype” by reporting that Balkenende had much chance of becoming the first president of Europe. “You gave mistaken reports,” ventured Donner.
Like Van Rompuy, Balkenende always said he was not a candidate. But never did Balkenende opt to end the speculation that he might go to Brussels, which he could easily have done by saying he would stay in The Hague, which he refused to do.
After a EU summit in Brussels end-October, Balkenende himself too appeared to believe to be the most important candidate. “It is premature,” he said at the time. “Perhaps there will be no request”.
Within the Christian democrats (CDA), it had already been agreed that Foreign Minister Verhagen would succeed Balkenende as premier, until the next elections. This scenario had already acquired some dust after Van Rompuy emerged a couple of weeks ago.
The opposition now smells blood. Centre-left D66 leader Alexander Pechtold considers that Balkenende has lost face both in the House and in the cabinet. According to Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders, the premier is “wounded game.”
For the conservatives (VVD), Balkenende does not return to the Netherlands stronger. “It does not help if you have had your eye on another job.” And according to leftwing Green (GroenLinks) leader Femke Halsema, the premier now has a “credibility problem” to solve.
Remarkably, the Socialist Party (SP) did not join in the criticism. Balkenende has suffered no loss of face now that he has not become president of the EU, in the view of MP Harry van Bommel.
