With Van Dijk, an enormous amount of experience disappears from the Statenzaal. The number two on the list of experienced members of parliament, Jan Westert (CU), was in his post for eleven years. So not even half. Although Van Dijk downplays his own role during his farewell speech: “It seems like a long period of time, but not so long ago I read a statement by someone who said: ‘We are just day trippers, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and until now. forever.'”