I can't help it, but today I make a rather pessimistic post. The reason is a message in the news today that our minister of Foreign Affairs confessed that he has lied.
Halbe Zijlstra, minister of Foreign Affairs. Foto Bart Maat / ANP
You could ask, Clio is it so bad that it makes you a little bit sad and pessimistic? The answer is no and yes at the same time.
No, because unfortunately, I know that politicians lie to make their story stronger or because it suits them for whatever reason and this particular lie is not the end of the world, but,
Yes, because I thought or hoped that the Ministers and Secretaries of State in our new government were honest and as it seems that it not the case.
Government buildings in The Hague
Our Minister of Foreign Affairs Zijlstra says he lied about the fact that he was present during a meeting with President Putin of Russia in 2006. Contrary to this claim, he confessed today that he was not present at this meeting in the Putin country house.
Zijlstra was the leader of the largest political party in the Netherlands and claimed in a speech at a party congress in 2016 (so ten years later) that he had heard Putin himself talk about 'Great Russia'. He said: "I was an employee, I was hidden away in the room where it took place, but I could very well hear what Vladimir Putin was answering to the question of what he meant by Great Russia."
Zijlstra said that Putin's answer was: 'that is Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Baltic States, and Kazakhstan was nice to have."
Today the minister says in his statements: "It was not wise, I should have done it differently." He says he borrowed someone else's story. By telling him that he was at a meeting with Putin, Zijlstra wanted to protect his source.
Zijlstra says: "I then made the choice: okay, this is an important geopolitical story, its implications are solid, so I pulled the story to myself to make sure that the person who was there did not become the revealing factor. Because this could also imply implications for him or his company ".
I think he will be forgiven and will stay on as a minister, but his credibility is damaged.
And indeed, just before posting this story I heard on the news that our Prime Minister Mark Rutte said: "it was not wise, but he can stay on!"
Our parliament consists of two chambers. This is our 'Tweede Kamer', you can compare this Second Chamber with the American House of Representatives or in England The House of Commons.
www.tweedekamer.nl
What is it with politicians that they lie and that it often has no consequences.
What is it with politicians that they condemn politicians in other countries (like presidents Trump or Putin) because they make 'fake news' but they do it also themselves.
So my pessimistic feelings are based on the feeling that nobody in high office can be really trusted and that there is no real integrity.
On the other hand, you can ask yourself (I can ask myself) are we always honest and sincere?
If the answer is no and I think it will be no, can we then expect our politicians to be honest and sincere?
And yet we do so because we want our politicians to be of service to our countries and us, the inhabitants, and we want them to be honest and to work for our good.
Perhaps that is too much to ask because many politicians have their own interests higher than the interests of their country.
That is what makes me sad and pessimistic about the future.
What can we do? Not much I think. We can vote in the elections of course, but you never know what will be known later on. But it remains important to vote for a politician or a political party that you think is most sincere and honest.
What we can do is look into our own hearts and try to be honest and sincere ourselves.
Have a nice day,
Clio