Your opinion of this Dutch ex-mayor's story

[DavidB.]

Until this year, Onno Hoes (VVD) was the 54-year mayor of Maastricht, the capital of the southernmost Dutch province of Limburg (which is still very much "culturally Catholic"/conservative by Dutch standards). Hoes is openly gay. Until 2014, he was married to well-known reporter Albert Verlinde, who was the host of the popular showbizz program "RTL Boulevard".

In 2013, pictures appeared with Hoes kissing a young guy, who was 19 or so, while he was still married to Verlinde. What's more, it became public that he had a profile on an app for gay (sex) dating. The city council complained, and Hoes promised not to do this again. The next year, when Hoes had already divorced Verlinde, a public broadcaster for shocking youth programs/politician trolling - named PowNed - presented a video on tv in which Hoes went on a date with a 20-year old guy, who recorded everything with a hidden camera. This guy also published messages that Hoes had sent him, some of them erotically charged - and some of them sent as Direct Messages through his official Twitter account. The 20-year old guy purposely went on a date with Hoes in order to make it a story. After this was broadcasted, the city council decided to revoke its confidence in the mayor, which led to Hoes being "fired" as mayor. (Dutch mayors aren't directly elected by the people, they are usually elected by the municipal council.)

Afterwards, the court ordered that it was illegal for PowNed to publish the video and the messages, since mayors/politicians, too, have a right to privacy.

What do you think? Should Hoes have been fired, or is this a private matter which had nothing to do with him being Mayor/a public person?

[Zioneer]

Wait, his name was "Onno Hoes"? Seriously? Hahaha.

Though his story sounds very Anthony Weiner-esque, so yeah I would say that he should have been fired, especially since he was using official social media for some of his activities.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, that's f**king creepy (and it would have been equally so if it was 20-year old girls).

[DavidB.]

Wait, his name was "Onno Hoes"? Seriously? Hahaha.

Haha, I thought about the English meaning of this word just after I posted it. However, it is a normal word for something normal in Dutch (by which I'm not simply saying prostitution is something normal in the Netherlands - it means sleeve/cover), and you don't pronounce it that way either (more like in "Who's there?")

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Yes, although not illegal; totally creepy and unacceptable for a public figure.

[politicus]

Wait, his name was "Onno Hoes"? Seriously? Hahaha.

Though his story sounds very Anthony Weiner-esque, so yeah I would say that he should have been fired, especially since he was using official social media for some of his activities.

Weiner harassed women by sending pics uncalled for, this is quite different. There doesn't seem to be any element of harassment or transgression.

He shouldn't have used an official account, but otherwise its a private matter. Hitting on young adults as a middle aged man is "optimistic", but not morally wrong.

[Supersonic]

He hasn't done anything legally wrong, so he shouldn't be fired.

I would expect him to resign given the circumstances though.