Deze blog is alleen beschikbaar in het Engels
In the Netherlands, we have just seen elections in which the centre-right Liberal party of Prime Minister Rutte narrowly beat the centre-left Labour party. This has come as somewhat of a surprise given that the socialist party (led by Roemer), was way ahead in the polls three weeks before the September 12 elections.
In his speech on election night after the disappointing result Roemer compared himself to Winston Churchill, saying that he too was forced at times to take a step back. While I will not comment on that 
comparison it did bring to mind a picture of our founder Bernard van Leer. It’s a black and white picture with Churchill and Van Leer on horseback just after the second world war. Bernard was a great admirer of Churchill and wanted to show his gratitude by gifting him one of his prize horses. Churchill did not accept but did agree to go for a ride, resulting in this picture. It always brings a smile to the faces of children visiting our office, even though they have no idea who the two old grandpas in the picture are.
Because of the landslide victories of both the Liberal and Labour party it seems to be inevitable that these center-left and center-right parties will have to work together to form the next government of the Netherlands. Party leaders will now need to sit down and formulate a coalition agreement that will, hopefully, govern the Netherlands through and out of the current crisis. Their programmes could not be more different but I do, with the words of Churchill, want to give them a little piece of advice to assist them in this great challenge.
Churchill once said that politicians focus on the next election, where leaders focus on the future. That future is with us today and could provide Rutte and Samson a common ground from which to work. That future is our children. Our children are the only common ground that is acceptable to Labour and Liberal constituents. If they are able to come up with a coalition agreement that puts our children, and therefore our future, first they will do justice not only to their constituents but to the current and future population of the Netherlands. BvLF has already worked with both parties on plans to improve early learning in the Netherlands and stands ready to support a coalition that chooses neither left or right ideologies but chooses Dutch children first.
