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FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8217
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C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000295 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2017 

TAGS: PINR HU NL

SUBJECT: BALKENENDE BLOG:  REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 
 
REF: STATE 6376 
 
Classified By: COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ANDREW J. SCHOF...


97040,2/16/2007 12:06,07THEHAGUE295,"Embassy The Hague",CONFIDENTIAL,07STATE6376,"VZCZCXYZ0003
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DE RUEHTC #0295 0471206
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
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FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8217
INFO RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0179
","C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000295 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2017 
TAGS: PINR HU NL
SUBJECT: BALKENENDE BLOG:  REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 
 
REF: STATE 6376 
 
Classified By: COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ANDREW J. SCHOFER. REASO 
N: 1.4(C). 
 
¶1. (C) This message is a response to reftel request for 
information on Dutch Prime Minister Balkenende's Weblog by 
Washington Analysts and the Open Source Center (OSC). 
 
¶2. (C) Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende maintained a 
weblog (blog) -- www.janpeterbalkenende.nl -- during the 
recent Dutch Parliamentary election campaign.  The first 
entry is dated October 2, 2006, and the last is dated 
November 23, 2006, i.e. the day after the elections.  There 
have been no subsequent entries, and post is not aware of any 
plans to revive the blog at this time. 
 
¶3. (C) Balkenende was one of several party leaders who set up 
blogs during the election in an effort to reach out to new 
potential voters, especially among youth.  Some senior Dutch 
government officials, including outgoing Finance Minister 
Zalm and outgoing Defense Minister Kamp, and about a dozen 
members of Parliament, also maintain regular weblogs between 
elections and use them to comment on current affairs. 
Balkenende has not done so. however. 
 
¶4. (C) Most of the entries in Balkenende's blog were short, 
peppy, and focused on familiar CDA campaign themes.  While 
post does not know for certain who drafted the entries, the 
language and subject matter was consistent with Balkenende's 
personal style, and we have no reason to believe that he did 
not write them himself.  Reactions were posted on the blog 
and appear to have been only minimally filtered, if at all. 
Most reactions were positive and many offered ""advice"" on 
campaign strategy and how Balkenende should approach 
coalition formation talks. 
 
¶5. (C) Balkenende's entries made little mention of his home 
life, which is not unusual for politicians in the 
Netherlands.  His relative openness in writing about his own 
experiences on the campaign trail, however, were seen as 
""humanizing"" him and probably added to his popularity.  Dutch 
media reported early in the campaign on the establishment of 
Balkenende's blog -- along with those of his political rivals 
-- but the blog itself does not appear to have been a major 
source of reportable material during the campaign. 
BLAKEMAN