Chapters

1. Introduction2. Which coalition will come?3. Which party? Why? Etc.4. Inquiry questions…5. Christmas wish…

IntroductionHello dear,

In this presentation we will tell you something about the politics in the Netherlands.The government is established in Den Haag (South-Holland). The government is called: the2nd room. In this presentation we will ask some people about this subject. Also we will give you our own opinion. We hope you’ll have fun with this presentation!

Greets from Tom and Stefan…

Which coalition will come?

In this chapter we will give you our own opinion about the politic.

We also tell you something about the opinion of other people;

for example: our parents.

First we will give our own opinion. We don’t vote by our self, but we still have an opinion about it.

Opinion: Stefan IJfs

Hello I’m Stefan, 14 years old and I want to give my opinion about the government. If I could vote, I had chosen the CDA. Because my parents had choose this and the program of the party sounds very well. Before the votes I had no idea about the politics. I think that the SP and the CDA can’t work together, because the SP is LEFT and the CDA RIGHT. The party programs are to different. I think it’s better when the CDA and the VVD will work together. (they are both RIGHT) If the coalition is strong together, they also will strong in the Europe.

Opinion: Tom van Santbrink

Hello, I am Tom van Santbrink and I’m 14 years old. I’m to young to vote by myself, but I still know what I want to vote. I would vote for the PvdA. Their program is nice, I think. With the most points from them I agree. About the coalition. I think the coalition with the largest parties in the Netherlands It is not going to work. The SP (Socialistic party) isn’t a good combination with the CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal). My favourite coalition is PvdA, SP and Groenlinks (literal translation: Greenleft). Their ideas do like to each other and I think they can work very well together.

Opinion: Dick and Monique IJfs: We would to formalise the following coalition: CDA, PVDA and the Christen Democrats. Because we do not want that the interest can not be subtracted from the income.

Opinion: Dick and Marijke van Santbrink: It doesn’t matter, but PvdA must be in the coalition.

Which party? Why?• Marijke van Santbrink: I have voted on the PvdA,

because I most trust them for a better policy. The most important points: the care and the employment.Also I find that it in the Netherlands what less musttwist about money but about people.

• Dick van Santbrink: I have voted on the PvdA becauseI stand most behind their points of view. The matter which I find important: A good social policy, a honest minorities policy and the education.

• Dick IJfs: I have voted CDA, because the party program is the most suitable for me. What I think is important: Social cost not in relation with higher incomes, The CDA wants to bring back the misuses of alcohol. They want to give information to schools.

• Monique IJfs: I have voted CDA, because I like their program very much. Some good points are: Make the economy stronger and prevent economical recession.

Inquiry questions

In this chapter we will answer some questions. Our parents will answer thisquestions too.

We have made 12 questions, 6 (5) people will give their opinion.They will explain their answers too.

1.) Do you think there have to be more elections, for example ones in three years?

• Tom van Santbrink: No, the coalition has not enough timeto do all things they have to do. The coalition has 4 years, not more and not less.

• Stefan IJfs: No, if you chance the politics to much there are no clear rules left.• Dick van Santbrink: No, once in the four years is enough.• Marijke van Santbrink: No, it is hard enough to make a choice once in four years.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs : No, once in the four year is more than enough. Be

sides that our government will not stay so long, because of the different opinions.

2.) Do you think the voting right move forward to the age of 16?

• Tom van Santbrink: I think the voting right has to move forward to 16, because the youth must have more influencein the politics.

• Stefan IJfs: I’ve got the same answer as Tom.• Dick van Santbrink: Yes teenagers are more clever then before.• Marijke van Santbrink: No, I think children of 16 are to young, but it is okay to

think about it.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: No, my opinion is that voting from your 18th is young

enough.

3.) Do you think there have to be youth parties?

• Tom van Santbrink: There must be youth parties, but theymay not have to much participation.

• Stefan IJfs: I don’t think so, but the political parties have to listen more to younger people.

• Dick van Santbrink: Yes, if there is an animal party, there have to be a party for youth.

• Marijke van Santbrink: They do already exist, it is a good training for young people before they go any further in politics!

• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs : Yes, youth parties will give the younger people a chance to forward their opinion.

4.) Had you thought about a new coalitionbefore voting?

• Tom van Santbrink: I’m too young for voting, but I think I won’t think about a new coalition. I’ll just vote for a party, not for a coalition. That’s the job for another person in the politics.

• Stefan IJfs: I didn’t vote, so I had no idea before the voting. • Dick van Santbrink: No, because I vote for principals.• Marijke van Santbrink: Yes, of course. I hope that the PvdA and the SP could

make it.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: I must admit that my choice was made just a week

before voting.

5.) Do you think the European Union has tobe one country?

• Tom van Santbrink: No, but we have to work together. Thereare still too many cultures in Europe. If it will be one countryall this cultures will disappear.

• Stefan IJfs: No, I think there have to be different rules in the countries. • Dick van Santbrink: No, but one government is okay.• Marijke van Santbrink: No, that isn’t necessary. But the countries should work

together much more.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: No, our country with a lot of different cultures will give

problems.

6.) Do you think there have to be morecommunication between the countries?(In the EU)

• Tom van Santbrink: No, there is enough communication. The big point in the European Union is the cooperation. This has to be better.

• Stefan IJfs: I think there is enough communication between • the countries, but I think the government should work together. • Dick van Santbrink: Yes, because they have to work as one country.• Marijke van Santbrink: Yes, more communication is very important.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: It is always important that communication

between the countries is done properly.

7.)What do you think about the Europeanconstitution?

• Tom van Santbrink: I think there have to be an European constitution, but there still have to be enough clearness about the contents of the constitution.

• Stefan IJfs: I don’t know what the constitution means.• Dick van Santbrink: It’s good for the future, but may not be a

loss of own identity.• Marijke van Santbrink: The European constitution is important for Europe as one

against America, Asia an others. But every country on his own should keep it’s own constitution.

• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: When the European constitution is in place, the Netherlands

8.) Do you think the chairman of the European Parliament must have more authority?

• Tom van Santbrink: No, but the parliament does. The life in Europe is too much on peoples own country aimed. That has to be Europe and the rest of the world.

• Stefan IJfs: No, I think he have enough authority.• Dick van Santbrink: Yes, but not to much.• Marijke van Santbrink: No the authority he has already enough.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: No, decisions has to be made by the total parliament

and not by the chairman.

9.) What do you think about the politics in the Netherlands?

• Tom van Santbrink: I think it has to be better. There is toomuch fight between the parties. It shouldn’t be. The partiescould have their own opinion, but they have to listen to each other.

• Stefan IJfs: I agree with Tom.• Dick van Santbrink: It’s to less about principles.• Marijke van Santbrink: At this moment it’s really bad.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: I think that more people choose for the socialists. I will

be difficult to keep the different parties coopering together.

10.) Do you think the citizens must have moreinfluence on the politics in the Netherlands?

• Tom van Santbrink: No, politicians have learned for their job. They know more about the things in the Netherlands. The citizensdon’t know a lot of things, so they must not have to much influence.

• Stefan IJfs: I’m totally agree with Tom.• Dick van Santbrink: No, politics become to instable.• Marijke van Santbrink: They have to have less influence. With every occurrence

in the Netherlands every citizen starts to give his opinion and the members of parliaments have to response.

• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: The citizens choose party which best fit. So the citizen have enough influence.

11.)How can the government be better?

• Tom van Santbrink: More cooperation between all parties. No fights and more communication. That’s all. If they do this, the government is much better.

• Stefan IJfs: I think they have to think before they will start a political party. There are some parties that have no idea of the politics, they don’t know how to handle with it.

• Dick van Santbrink: Less party politics, more respect for citizen.• Marijke van Santbrink: The government should do its work, without diversion.• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: Be honest, respect all parties and find the best

solution.

12.) How do you think about a member of an ethnic minority in the Netherlands?

• Tom van Santbrink: If they do normal and they adapt themselves they can stay, but if they don’t do this they have to go home.

• Stefan IJfs: There are a few of this people who behave themselves, but the people who perform crimes have to go back to their country.

• Dick van Santbrink: The Netherlands must stay tolerant and a multicultural society, it always has been.

• Marijke van Santbrink: The government must be a faint shadow of the citizen of the Netherlands.

• Dick IJfs and Monique IJfs: