Zeeland Member of Parliament Martin Bos has spent more than 10,000 euros of taxpayers’ money on food and drinks in two years as a one-man faction of Forum for Democracy. In 2023 and 2024, he went out to eat 117 times, documents show that Omroep Zeeland requested in the province of Zeeland. No party comes close to that declaration amount, the broadcaster wrote on Monday. Not even parties with multiple Members of Parliament: in 2024, the BBB with nine Members of Parliament did not even reach half of the amount that Bos requested back on his own.
Political groups receive money annually for costs they incur to do their work properly. They must be accountable for their expenditure. Most parties hire a party employee from public money to prepare debates, but Bos spends 88.5 percent of his meeting expenses on dinners. “Delivered to your home, McDonald’s or on the terrace: they are all there,” writes Omroep Zeeland. Bos’ receipts amount to an amount of 10,500 euros in 2023 and 2024.
In response, Bos tells Omroep Zeeland that he has actually done the taxpayer a favor by not hiring a faction employee, while Omroep Zeeland Bos will still exclaimed to “the great absentee” in the Zeeland parliament. Investigation then showed that he had not shown up at a committee meeting of the Provincial Council “not once”. In these meetings, substantive topics are debated in preparation for the State Assembly, where political decisions are made. Bos failed to appear 38 times. “We consciously chose that, to be effective in a different way,” he said.
Stricter rules
In 2023 and 2024, there were no strict rules for the declaration behavior of Members of Parliament. Because factions received a significantly larger budget for faction support in 2025, due to the high workload, the rules and controls have also been tightened.
Examples are Omroep Zeeland and the Zeeland newspaper PZC show that Bos gratefully took advantage of that lack of rules in 2023 and 2024. For a “discussion of the nitrogen problem” he spends 70 euros on a Wagyu burger, steak and rib fingers. A year later, during the adjournment of a State Assembly, he consumed steak tartare and four beers at taxpayer expense. Earlier in 2024, Bos declared more than 1,100 euros in hotel, travel and parking costs, and almost 500 euros in dinner costs, for a study meeting in Amsterdam on “protein transition”. On day one he buys drinks and cigars at the Jumbo. He also declares that receipt, writes PZC.
Hugo de Jonge, the King’s Commissioner in Zeeland, believes that Bos’ declaration behavior “goes over the line”: “Even if something is not unlawful… it is of course irresponsible,” he says. “Everyone understands that this is not appropriate. You should not handle taxpayer money this way.”
Bos himself sees dinners as “a nice moment to exchange ideas with each other, with a good atmosphere,” he tells Omroep Zeeland. In return for PZC he says he finds it “scandalous” that he is being portrayed as someone who “eats and drinks” at the taxpayer’s expense. He emphasizes that he does not visit the catering establishments alone, but with party assistants and volunteers. “I dare to look at myself in the mirror.” Earlier this year, Bos switched to BVNL after a disagreement with FVD. He now represents that party in the Middelburg municipal council, while he is an independent member of Parliament.
