Things were well wrong with Halbe Zijlstra, Jet Bussemaker reveals

Jet Bussemaker, minister of culture since last autumn, is slowly but surely starting to repair the damage done by the previous cabinet, supported by the Dutch culture-hating party PVV.

5 million back for culture card, 2 million for museums, something more soon for the international promotion of young artists. All in all, nowhere near the 200 million and some that the previous cabinet took away from Dutch culture without arguments, but the start is there. More important is the substance that PvdA Culture Minister Jet Bussemaker has brought back into the debate. A speech she made yesterday at the Culture Education with Quality conference made that clear once again.

The voluminous speech summed up everything that was shouted about the usefulness and necessity of art in the fight against Halbe Zijlstra's senseless demolition policy in the countless pamphlets, opinion pieces, columns, shot writings and litanies. But it was shouted out by the wrong people. After all, it was the victims who shouted how important they were, and however right they were, victims are not taken seriously by anyone. Halbe Zijlstra realised this, which allowed his attitude in his public appearances to become increasingly openly condescending: he was the winner, content did not matter, victims were subsidy-addicted junkies who needed to go through a cold turkey.

So the only one who can underline the importance of arts and cultural education in speeches, without getting a lot of yawns and jeers in response, is someone who can also decide on it. This is what makes Jet Bussemaker's arrival now so pleasing to weary culture people. There is only one important condition for this happy-go-lucky state to continue: Bussemaker must not become a victim.

So we are not yet cheering before the State Budget is presented this autumn.