Bafflement all round. How could D66 possibly at vote a minimal repair to the draconian cultural cuts of both Rutte cabinets? After all, only 10 million is at stake. That while party leader Alexander Pechtold, as culture spokesman, has been hammering for an extra 10 million in every meeting for the past year. But exactly that happened last night.
During the campaign, D66 went much further: from 24 million to even 100 million extra for culture. Anyway: "For the Arts, 2016 is the last year of the journey through the desert" stated Pechtold.
Empty promises
Campaigning is unfortunately far from Hague reality. This was evident when a recent vote had to be held on a motion on raising the salary of primary school teachers. D66 voted against it. The explanation was sought in the position that the election results gave D66: part of the motor block with VVD and CDA. To maintain a solid negotiating position with those parties and the on-and-off Green Left and Christian Union, it proved unwise to realise some of your wishes even before a new cabinet.
Controversial?
A tactic not substantially different from the leaps usually employed by VVD and CDA in such situations: declaring an issue controversial. But it was precisely in the case of the motion to make some repairs to the culture cuts that D66's voting behaviour was so painful.
Not only was the motion non-controversial and could it find a majority in the House of Representatives. Above all, this minor repair left plenty of room to really push forward in the formation talks.
Payback is a bitch
It seems that after years of shouting that those millions really must come, D66 is not so much voting against a motion. Nor voting against it for a better negotiating position. But is doing this purely out of resentment towards the governing party, which explicitly states that it does not want to participate in this formation.
Indeed, in all its attempts to still make something of it, D66 saw itself constantly over the past year thwarted by PvdA, although that party also wanted nothing more than more money for culture. However, Bussemaker was bound by the coalition agreement with champion cultural cuts VVD. Because yes, Wilders. And Zijlstra.
Stepped in again, right?
Especially this time, D66 should have stepped over all the pain points. Because culture is not an issue at all in the formation talks, at most when it comes to the role of public broadcasting. It is simply not possible to score with culture politically, at most to lose something in small circles. By voting against it now, Pechtold has a minuscule negotiation point that the rest of the motor block can easily agree on. But it has nothing to do with vision. And certainly nothing to do with a genuine desire to invest in culture.
Or should we take seriously from D66's otherwise vague cultural programme, like that of all other parties, only this sentence:
"D66 wants the coming cabinet invests in culture."
In other words: investing in culture is only possible if we participate and for that credits get.
Counterproductive
The perfect opportunity to at least do something was right here and now, in an outgoing cabinet with a PvdA that is already busy with its next campaign. Not during the formation talks where Halbe Zijlstra will undoubtedly negotiate more drastic things for that same ten million for culture.
Of course, politics is a business where outstanding bills are often settled later and there is always someone in the group with an elephant's memory. But it is counterproductive. Worse: because of all these power games and settlements, politics alienates itself more and more from the voter. They think: after the elections, my vote will all too soon be a mere bargaining chip, subordinate to any party interest.
Payback is a bitch on the back of the cultural sector.
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