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Skating on thin ice — Dutch minister 'breaks' COVID rules

February 19, 2021

Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra tweeted a picture of himself ice skating with one of the country's top athletes. But the Christian Democrat leader faced criticism that he had broken coronavirus regulations.

https://p.dw.com/p/3pbou
Dutch finance Minister Wopke Bastiaan Hoekstra is waiting for an eurozone ministers' meeting. Archive image.
FInance Minister Hoekstra said that 'exercise is important,' as he exercised at a facility currently closed to the general publicImage: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Monasse

Outgoing Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra found himself skating on thin ice on Friday after he appeared to break coronavirus rules. 

The 45-year-old Christian Democrat leader had tweeted a photo of himself 24 hours earlier on an ice rink with Olympic champion skater Sven Kramer.

"Exercise is great fun and also very healthy," Hoekstra wrote on the microblogging site. "Especially in these times, it is important that we keep moving."

But government regulations forced the Thialf ice rink in the northeastern city of Heerenveen to close to recreational skaters at the end of last year.

Current rules in the Netherlands only allow outdoor sports.

There is, however, an exception for elite athletes. Kramer, the most decorated Olympic speed skater in history with nine medals, would certainly fit that description.

Dutch skater Sven Kramer
Dutch skater Sven Kramer is a national hero in the NetherlandsImage: picture-alliance/Kyodo/Maxppp

Yet Hoekstra’s tweet sparked anger on social media from Dutch ice skating enthusiasts. 

Thialf director Marc Winters told the Leeuwarder Courant newspaper that the ban on indoor sports "does not mean that we are not allowed to receive individual guests."

He said Hoekstra's laps of the rink with one of the country’s most famous athletes “should be seen as a permitted company visit."

It is as yet unclear what impact his photo opportunity will have on the Christian Democrats' election chances in a country that is passionate about ice skating.

Far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders asked on Twitter if politicians from the center-right party "think that the laws do not apply to them?"

Dutch voters go to the polls on March 17 in a parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Mark Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy looking likely to emerge the strongest single party.

Dutch PM Mark Rutte
Dutch PM Mark Rutte says he is also a keen ice skater Image: Bart Maat/ANP/picture alliance

Polls taken before Hoekstra's coronavirus misdemeanor forecast that Rutte's centrist party would pick up 25% of the vote.

Hoestra’s Christian Democrats were on 13% in third place. They were sat behind the Party for Freedom on 15% led by Wilders.

Rutte's government resigned last month over a child benefits scandal.

jf/msh (AP, AFP)