Speech of the Year 2021!

Number three is for Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, whose speech at the Climate Conference hit like a bomb. Hudig: "There were several speeches at that conference to indicate the urgency, but there was one lady who really made a crushing impression there." Had there been an international poll for best speech of the year, Hudig thinks this prime minister's speech would have taken the top spot. "She stood up there and fought like a lioness for her country and the people whose lives are in danger because of global warming."

She stands for her cause, according to Hudig, and also really embodies the message. She manages to make a very strong point with very beautiful language and very beautiful comparisons. "You saw people sitting in the auditorium and you saw in them the intense interest when a speech is given that really hits home."

In her speech, Mottley explains that two-degree warming is the death sentence for Barbados. Her people, the people of Barbados, she said, need action now. Wouters was particularly charmed by the way Mottley did her speech. "You see a woman standing there who you know is a woman from a small country. A black woman. She really has to throw her whole weight around to be taken seriously." It is precisely with her body that the prime minister of Barbados says the most, according to Wouters. "Try to blow me over, you won't succeed anyway.

"

The silver spot is for Paxton Smith, a young high school student who gets to give a speech at her graduation ceremony at Dalles High School. Normally during this speech, students talk about what they have learned and how they envision the future, but young Smith did things a little differently. Wouters: "There is a freule woman standing there who is very nervous and at the beginning she also slips up a few times. But at some point that diesel gets up to speed and then she chooses to talk about the rights of young women. And then she pops in."

"Normally a speech like that goes along with your resume. You can reiterate how great you were in class and what you're going to contribute to the world," Van den Bergh explains. "She feels the gravity of that moment, and around that time of the speech it's about the abortion legislation in America, which is huge. Against the technician who turns her away and against the stage manager who tries to bring her back to her speech, she persists in giving it. That's a lot of courage from an 18-year-old.

"

And at 1 was Pieter Omzigt, for his impressive contribution during the allowance debate at the beginning of the year. This speech by Pieter Omtzigt was made back in January this year. "Omtzigt had the theme on Jan. 19 that would hold Dutch politics hostage all year," Van den Bergh says. Hudig is also very impressed with the speech: "The speech is almost un-Dutch and therefore really fascinating. It's really what Omtzigt is doing in this speech."

You can disagree with him politically, but the fact that this speech hit like a bomb inside and outside the House of Representatives has a couple of obvious reasons. First, because the speech, even if it comes across as loose, is very strong, a clear core message: something is wrong in The Hague and it has to change. Second, because (perhaps unconsciously here and there) he uses various stylistic devices: question and answer, contrasts, repetitions, and yet it comes across very naturally.
3. Because you can see that it comes from his toes. Not a politician who stands around playing games, but someone who puts his heart and soul into his cause.

"I believe this man." said Huib Hudig