Bosma writes in a letter to Baudet that the threats were made after the first part of the debate on the Dutch EU Membership Consultative Referendum Act. According to Bosma, ‘an incident occurred in which you threatened fellow MP Klaver twice’.
Didn’t hear it myself
Bosma writes that he did not observe this himself. “But later in the afternoon it was brought to my attention by others – including Mr Klaver himself. Mr Klaver indicated that he feels threatened, and I can well imagine that.”
Bosma does not write what was said, but according to those involved, Klaver asked Baudet again to send annual reports from the Forum for Democracy Foundation, the predecessor of the party, from the period of the 2016 Ukraine referendum. Baudet then allegedly said to Klaver: “If you ask again, I will punch you in the mouth.”
During the debate, GroenLinks/PvdA MP Baudet had also asked for the annual accounts. D66 member Jan Paternotte and Klaver accuse Baudet of being influenced by Russia and, in the words of Klaver, ‘there is plenty of flirting with Russia and people affiliated with the Kremlin’.
‘Intended to be metaphorical’
Baudet then replied: “It is said that Mr. Klaver actually has a vagina. Is he willing to make his underpants public for a moment?” He told Paternotte: “In any other situation I would punch someone in the mouth if you think that about me.”
In response to a request from Paternotte to call Baudet to order, Bosma then said that he did not see Baudet’s comment as a direct threat, but as a ‘metaphorical’ remark. “In the sense of: you would be very angry with a third person.”
The incident between Baudet and Paternotte can be seen in this video:
“I give a lot of space in the debate,” Bosma now writes to Baudet. “I allowed your comment during the debate, in which you talked in a more general sense about ‘hitting someone in the mouth’, because I valued it as a reaction in a metaphorical sense. But that does not apply to what happened after the debate said. That was completely unacceptable. I cannot tolerate threats – even in the plenary hall.”
‘Boundaries and standards of decency exceeded’
Bosma writes that this ‘definitely exceeded boundaries and standards of decency’. “It also damages the reputation of the House and politics.”
The Speaker of the House wants to talk to Baudet as soon as possible about ‘this extremely regrettable issue’. He therefore writes to Baudet to expect him tomorrow morning, at 9.15 am, for an interview.
Jesse Klaver says in response: “Threats are unacceptable. In a democracy we resolve differences of opinion with words. The fact that Mr Baudet in our meeting room, the heart of Dutch democracy, felt it necessary to issue a threat is a low point. Good that the chairman has taken this up so quickly.”