Traditionally an election night closes off with a final debate between the party leaders. However, I just read that Rutte (VVD) feels a debate is pointless since no winner is known. Cohen (PvdA), Halsema (GL) and Pechtold (D66) seem to agree and will stay away, too.
Balkenende, having resigned, will not appear either, although the number 2 of the CDA list, Bijleveld, will appear. However, it seems she'll debate only Roemer (SP), Wilders (PVV), and Rouvoet (CU).
On the plus side, I don't have to worry about missing this debate. On the minus side, exactly the coalition that I consider likeliest is missing. Will there be traffic between the four missing party leaders tonight?
Yesterday the leaders of the eight largest parties debated on the economy. It was a tightly-led debate with a distinctly less weird format than usual, and it allowed all eight participants to shine a few times — or fail to do so, but that was their own fault.
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Sunday I watched the first debate in this election cycle, and here’s my report. It was slated as a “prime minister debate,” and as a result only four party leaders participated: Cohen (PvdA), Balkenende (CDA), Rutte (VVD), and Wilders (PVV).
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On Wednesday Dutch voted for their local councils, and the result is interesting. SP leader Kant resigns, Wilders’s PVV the largest party in one city, PvdA and CDA lose, D66 wins.
Before we continue, one housekeeping note: I will be away for the weekend, and there will be no updates to this blog. Publication will resume on Monday.
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Yesterday the leaders of CDA, PvdA, VVD, PVV, SP, and D66 debated each other on
TV, and continued on the Internet. I watched both so you don’t have to.
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