D66 wants a smoking ban on terraces, in cars and in nature reserves
D66 wants smoking banned on patios and in nature reserves. Smoking in cars with children present should also be punishable by fines. Party members voted overwhelmingly to amend their election manifesto to ban smoking in many more places.
Smoking in cars with children isn't currently prohibited in the Netherlands, but if the D66 party has its way, a new cabinet will address this. France already has a similar ban in place for children under 18. D66 also wants to ban smoking on outdoor cafes.
Earlier this year, the European Commission advised all EU member states to make outdoor areas at hospitality establishments smoke-free. This cabinet has looked into this, but the legal implications are proving challenging.
Terraces are outdoors, and the smoking ban doesn't apply there. Currently, café or restaurant owners can decide for themselves whether smoking is permitted on the terrace.
And to discourage smoking and reduce the risk of wildfires, D66 also wants to ban cigarettes, pipes, and cigars from being lit in Natura 2000 areas. D66 members added these points to their election platform.
In his speech, D66 leader Rob Jetten said his party wants to participate in a new cabinet that "brings change": "We want to be the beating and progressive heart of that new Dutch government." According to him, many voters are fed up with the "negativism" in The Hague. In his speech, he hinted at cooperation with GroenLinks-PvdA and CDA, who, he said, also want to "turn the page."
The party is gaining ground in the polls. D66 currently holds 9 seats in Parliament. After the elections, that number could rise to between 11 and 15, according to various polling agencies.
In his speech, Jetten lashed out at the right-wing extremist rioters who vandalized the D66 party office in The Hague two weeks ago . The rioters on Malieveld kept chanting, "We are the Netherlands." But to them I say crystal clear: Your violence is not the Netherlands. Being Dutch has nothing to do with where you were born or who you love. The Dutch are people who respect each other, who value the freedom to be who you are. The Netherlands is a country of community and neighborliness, of looking out for one another. The country of positive forces. That is the
real Netherlands.
