Hanna Elsinga (student council – far left), WUR president Sjoukje Heimovaara and WUR Council chair Blair van Pelt at D66 house representative Jan Paternotte’s speech. Photo: HOP
Universities protest in front of the Senate halfway through the final debate on the education budget. Among those present are Blair van Pelt (WUR Council), Hanna Elsinga (Student Council), WUR president Sjoukje Heimovaara and mayor of Wageningen Floor Vermeulen. Don’t do it! They shout. Will the Senate perform a last-minute political miracle?
Senator Daan Roovers of GroenLinks-PvdA opens the last debate on the budget cuts in education by explaining once more to the minister what is at stake. Whether he hears it is unclear. Education minister Eppo Bruins has only just arrived and is busy sorting through his papers and typing on his phone.
Roovers uses big words. ‘Free academic research and trustworthy information are the pillars that hold up the rule of law.’ What will happen is one of these pillars is damaged is no mystery, Roovers states.
Procession
While the debate on 1.2 million in budget cuts in the Senate starts, protestors gather at the House of Representatives to march. The route ends at the Senate. What will happen if the cuts are implemented? ‘The entire structure that currently helps design solutions to societal problems will collapse, ’ says Caspar van den Berg, chair of the association of universities UNL.
Before the procession departs for the Senate, Representatives offer the approximately one hundred protestors words of encouragement. There is not much hope that the Senate will vote against the cuts. The last time such a vote was successful in stopping austerity measures was in 1907. But, this cabinet will not last long, says GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans. ‘In the future, we will be able to invest in education instead of cutting budgets!’ Laurens Dassen of Volt predicts: ‘1.2 million extra, not less!’
Miracle
Sandra Beckerman (SP) continues to hope for a miracle in the Senate. ‘You must pressure the parties that can make a difference’, she shouts. The Christian parties and JA21 made a deal in the House or Representatives to cushion the budget cuts. ‘Tell these parties: don’t do it!’ Beckerman chants with the audience. ‘Don’t do it!’
Twente University students and employees are also present. They are aware that the chances of success in the Senate are slim. But Twente is already severely impacted by the austerity measures. ‘We must make ourselves heard’, one of them states. ‘The fact that this is a lengthy meeting shows they are not just taking a quick decision.’
The protestors hand over a manifest to the Senate. Several senators are present, among whom are those in the coalition. The manifest also bears the message: don’t do it.