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🇳🇱 Netherlands /Elections & Politics

Politicians hash out their disputes in the Dutch parliament café

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The Statenlokaal café inside the Dutch parliament functions as an informal meeting place for lawmakers, former politicians, lobbyists and visitors.
  • Members sometimes use the café to resolve disputes, although a political strategist says some lawmakers also avoid one another there.
  • Recent changes to the café’s red-and-green interior have drawn sharply mixed reactions from politicians.

In the Statenlokaal, the café of the Dutch House of Representatives, Marianne Kraaijeveld has just handed in her laptop, phone and access pass. After working in parliament since 1981, she is retiring. At the bar, she meets Volt lawmaker Laurens Dassen, who is picking up coffee for his staff.

For you, the Tweede Kamer is therefore just as addictive as it is for politicians.

· Laurens DassenDassen joked with retiring parliamentary employee Marianne Kraaijeveld about her long connection to the institution.

Kraaijeveld tells him how the Tweede Kamer used to be a place where anyone could simply walk in. She plans to follow the meetings of the healthcare committee online. “For you,” Dassen tells her, “the Tweede Kamer is therefore just as addictive as it is for politicians.”

The café serves as the village square of the parliamentary world. A VVD lawmaker embraces a former VVD colleague who now lobbies for the online gambling industry. The mayor of Staphorst waits for an SGP lawmaker, while a CDA politician stands alone near the reading table. Lawmakers say they sometimes use the café to talk through their disputes. A political strategist, however, says the coffee queue also reveals politicians trying to stay away from one another.

I don’t like change.

· Laura BrometThe Pro lawmaker reacted negatively to the café’s new red-and-green interior.

After the PVV’s election victory in 2023, many of its lawmakers began appearing in the café as the party entered government. Now the regular PVV visitors are Elmar Vlottes and Alexander Kops, who always arrive together. A group of BBB staffers also used to come for coffee several times a day, until Mona Keijzer left the party and the group broke apart. On his final day as an MP, NSC lawmaker Harm Holman brought gifts for “the coffee ladies.”

Oh, how ugly.

· Caroline van der PlasThe BBB lawmaker gave the harshest reaction to the café renovations.

The café itself has changed. During the summer, light-wood tables and chairs were replaced with red and green furniture, and the bar and window frames received the same colors. SGP lawmaker Van Dijk called the result cozy. Pro’s Laura Bromet said, “I don’t like change.” BBB’s Caroline van der Plas was blunter: “Oh, how ugly.” Architect Bart Kellerhuis said the temporary parliamentary building was originally meant to be sober and functional, partly because party colors were considered sensitive. This summer, that restraint disappeared.

the coffee ladies

· Harm HolmanThe departing NSC lawmaker used the phrase when giving gifts to café staff on his final day in parliament.
About this summary

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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