RTL will not be broadcasting election debates for the Provincial Council elections this year. The channel and the political parties could not agree on its schedule. Joining RTL talk show Jinek for a debate also turned out not to be a solution. Deputy Chief of the Political Editorial Board Stephan Koole confirms this after reporting by de Volkskrant.
More than two weeks before the elections on March 15, RTL wanted to organize a debate with the six largest parties in the House of Representatives (VVD, D66, PVV, CDA, PvdA, SP). The timing didn’t suit everyone.
The idea of ​​bringing the debate to Jinek got stuck because the editors of Jinek preferred to have Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) ​​and Joost Eerdmans of JA21 join the debate. Then the government party CDA might drop out. The BBB and JA21 can collect a lot of votes according to polls on March 15.
Political considerations
The VVD is said to have stuck to the original set-up with the six largest parties. The party denies being responsible for the RTL debate not going ahead, writes de Volkskrant.
However, there would be no enthusiasm within the VVD to debate with the group chairmen of JA21 or the BBB, pointing to the low number of seats of their parties in the House of Representatives.
Other political considerations would also have played a role. The VVD did not want to offer the two parties a big stage for various reasons, is the lecture.
The NOS broadcasts a debate on NPO Radio1 on March 3. Sixteen parties are participating. The NOS TV debate is on March 14. Both party leaders and provincial leaders participate in that broadcast.
