May 2010 THE : THE POPULIST TEMPTATION

Christophe DE VOOGD www.fondapol.org

THE NETHERLANDS: THE POPULIST TEMPTATION

Christophe DE VOOGD The Fondation pour l’innovation politique is a liberal, progressive and European foundation President: Nicolas Bazire Vice-president: Charles Beigbeder

Chief Executive Officer: Dominique Reynié [email protected]

General Secretary: Corinne Deloy [email protected]

THE NETHERLANDS: THE POPULIST TEMPTATION

Christophe DE VOOGD Lecturer in history at Sciences Po, author of Histoire des Pays-Bas des origines à nos jours (Fayard, 2003)

Few European countries have seen their international image change as radically as the Netherlands in such a short space of time. As recently as 2000, the Dutch economy, boasting one of the highest rates of growth in the OECD, focused international attention on the virtues of the polder- model, a blend of cooperation and moderation between business leaders and trade unions in a constant search for compromise. On social issues, the Dutch “laboratory”, with its liberal penal climate, its acceptance of gay marriage, the re-opening of brothels, its permissive policies on drugs and the legalisation of euthanasia, inspired interest around the world. The perspective has changed enormously since the tragic events of 2002 and 2004, with the assassination of populist leader and polemic filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, which brought the Netherlands face-to-face with the spectre of political violence, something that had previously been absolutely proscribed from national politics. Dutch society has also been beset by doubts about the continuation of its van- guard experiments – particularly in respect to drugs – and the increase in crime has prompted calls for limits to be placed on the sacrosanct principle of gedogen, or tolerance, in all areas. This has coincided with a lasting downturn in the economic envi- ronment, sending the Netherlands to the bottom of Europe’s economic performance tables in the years 2001-2005. With growth averaging just 0.7% per annum over that period, a budget deficit and increasing unem- ployment, it looked a lot as though the poldermodel had broken down. Social frustration and the economic downturn translated into a degree of electoral volatility and political instability that the Netherlands had not witnessed for more than 20 years: between 2002 and 2007, four

5 6 fondapol | political innovation The crisis inthe Netherlands oenet fl ad h Scn Chamber Second the and fell governments 1. country’s the of characteristics structural the by Netherlands the for The challenge represented by the global financial crisis was compounded The fallofthegovernmentonceagainbroughtitintosharp focus. 2008. in hit crisis financial global the when pressing more even became This question, which has been central to public debate for several years, Fortuyn and his posthumous electoral success, have been fully absorbed. remains whether the shockwaves of 2002, with the assassination of Pim ical instabilityisnotover. polit- of era the that show 2010) February 2007-20 February (22 years namely the resignation of the fourth Balkenende government after three business asusualandarenewedsenseofnationalunity. to return a both signalled elections, parliamentary 2006 November the after PvdA, the and CDA the parties, traditional biggest the country’stwo spanning coalition”, “grand the of version own its adopt to sion finances. Politically speaking, it could be said to that the Netherlands’ deci- return public the a in recovery spectacular a to with leading more, or 3% of performance,growth economic Netherlands’ the in ment eight yearspointtoareturncertainmeasureofstability. Balkenende, remained at the head Dutch of the national government for nearly the Peter , of Jan Prime single a centre that fact the the and spectrum, political at lies which CDA), Appèl, Democratisch (Christen Appeal Democratic Christian the of period recent the over voor Vrijheid enDemocratie, VVD), experiencedbigswingsinsupport. liberally minded People’s and Democracy (Volkspartij de van the Arbeid,(Partij and Labour parties,PvdA) as prominent such most the of some emerged,while fortunes political shifting with parties under aproportional system, ispre-eminent. It has 150 members. Netherlands’the In bicameralvoteStatesthedirect system,General, ChamberSecondof thea elected by After the “false start of the 21st century” (Jos de Beus), the question Beus),the century”de 21st (Jos the of the start After “false But the grand coalition is now history: recent events in the Netherlands, improve- marked a saw 2007 and 2006 years the that true also is It results electoral robust the that contended be however, could, It THE DIKE IS LEAKING, BUT THEFLOW BEEN HAS STEMMED THE NETHERLANDS IN THE FACE OF THE CRISIS: CRISIS: THE OF FACE THE IN NETHERLANDS THE 1 a dsovd wc; new twice; dissolved was tion rate, afteraperiodofoverheatingin thesummerof2008. infla- the in drop big the was elsewhere, and factor,Netherlands the in positive only The years. two over investments in 25% roughly of dive 5% of the active population. But the biggest concern was the anticipated about to increased pact.Unemployment growth and stability the under set limits upper the through 2009.crashed of Netherlands summer The the of end the by GNP of 60% of threshold the area,crossing euro the in rates fastest the of one at surged debt public GNP,and of 4.6% to swelled measures, stimulus government and months) six of space the in billion (€6 receipts budget tax lower the of impact exports; combined the in under deficit, 15% nearly of decline a to pointed 2009 for projections 11%.Full-year by narrowed surplus trade Netherlands’ the doubtful internationalloans. in increase big the cover to provisions large aside set to need the and transactions financial of write-downs substantial of back the on billion €28 of losses aggregate up notching 2008, of part latter the in trouble global crash. As such, the Dutch banking industry experienced particular banks, including , one of the first European victims of the (virtual) of consortium a giant ABN-AMROby national of acquisition the after the fact that the Dutch banking sector was in the process of by exacerbated restructuring, was crisis financial the of impact severe.The and swift be to bound were investors, leading the among rank Dutch the where (GNP). The repercussions of the shock that came from the United States, product national gross of 7% for account alone services financial ices: actually one of the most open ones in the world, dominated by the serv- recipient (ranked seventh). In appearance a a small country, and its sixth) economy is (ranked source a as both flows, investment international in place prominent a occupies Netherlands the agriculture), in biggest world’s The sector. banking producer,sixteenth-biggest the third- the (and exporter sixth-biggest its but from emanating shock a and trade international in contraction a to sensitivity its particularly economy, true depression. a prompted stage this Worldat Second War,not the has since it enced experi- has country the deepest the is recession current the while that and control, under remained situation the that clear is it retrospect, In A shallow recession for aresilient economy As elsewhere, this shock spread to the rest of the economy: in 2008, in economy: the of rest the to spread shock elsewhere,this As

7 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 8 fondapol | political innovation been possibletoadoptmuchmoreaggressivepolicies. have would economy Dutch the of health the that maintain members opposition and experts numerous Indeed, fundamentals. sound omy’s econ- Dutch the by possible made was and recommendations OECD 2011 any effort to bring down the budget deficit. This is consistent with GDP. As such, the government’s real contribution has been to defer until of 40% nearly for accounts welfare) social and (public expenditure tive collec- where country a in decisive are which billion), €40 about (for plans. Most government support has come through automatic stabilisers the Dutch stimulus package, compared with the French or even German wind-power capacity)andsupportforbusinessliquidity. offshore of doubling a gramme,(with energies renewable in particularly including support for the labour market, a “sustainable” investment pro- 2009, with new government spending totalling €6 billion over two years, underwrite interbank loans. A stimulus plan was also finalised in March nationalisation and creation of a guarantee fund (totalling €200 billion) to of 2008 of Fortis’s interest in ABN AMRO leading to that bank’s minister,Wouter finance Bos, to Labour the woes of the the banking sector: acquisition in the of autumn response energetic the which, of least Not helped. also have government’spolicies economy.Dutch open The Netherlands’ the on impact positive a having obviously is which ment, opposed tothe8%thatwasfearedforatime. as 6.5%, at peak to expected now slightly.is Similarly,unemployment up edge to GDP expecting now are and 2010, for pessimistic less are as opposed to the initial anticipation of a 4.5% decline; most economists full-year outcome is now expected to be a contraction of roughly 3.5%, quarter.third the in (GDP) product domestic gross in growth slight The 2. in was account trade the 4%, below was unemployment footing: sound a economyon the put oriented,toearlierwellyears effortsin tothanks When the crisis hit, the Netherlands’ main economic indicators were very Sound fundamentals projections. (CPB) CentraalPlanbureauNetherlands,on based the in MissionFinancial andEconomic FrenchSource: However, commentators generally emphasised the modest nature of nature modest the emphasised generally However,commentators This is attributable to the stabilisation of the global economic environ- by confirmed was 2009 of summer the in exports in recovery The 2 de facto

(HDI) andthelowestrateof povertyintheEuropeanUnion. index development human Nation’s United the in ranking ninth try’s at all satisfied with the life you lead?”), which is backed up by the coun- the whole, are you very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not very satisfied or not compared withtheEUaverageof78%inresponseto question “On more positivelightthantheirneighboursinothercountries. much a in environment prevailing the see Dutch the that show clearly tural imbalances.tural 72 survey Eurobarometer standard the of results The struc - their addressed having without recession into slipped that tries coun- numerous in case the not was which population, the on impact limited a only had crisis the such, As years. ten least at for rosy been has situation underlying country’s the words, other In 2006. in basis propelling the Netherlands into third place in the OECD on a per-capita wealth, national in increase spectacular a prompting time same the at track,while back on finances thecountry’s put helped have finances, public the managing tightly and moderate increases wage keeping by obtained gains, productivity considerable then, Since disease”. “Dutch the dub to quick were commentators foreign that symptoms of nation combi- a stagflation, by characterised environment an in (1982) GNP of 10% for accounted deficit budget when the and 1980s, 13% was early unemployment the in itself found country the which in situation parlous very the mind in bear to need Weyears. 25 least at back eyes our cast to need fully, we this appreciate finances. To public country’s the especially economy,and Dutch the of resilience astonishing the in equity marketshaveputthembackontheroadtoarecovery. in rally the and contributions pension in increase the pensions, of ation underfunded commitments, the combined impact of the end to the index- from the bear market in equities, in market bear the from their solvability ratios. And while powerful pension funds initially suffered preserve to companies insurance and banks allowed sector financial the of solidity The conditions. economic unprecedented such in manoeuvre country’sthe of most for neighbours,room same the have not did with which comparison in advantage real a be to proved GDP.This of 45% for accounted debt public government’sand budget,the was as surplus, 5. 4. 3. Source: Eurostat. Eurobarometer 72: fieldwork in the autumn of 2009, publication in January 2010. At the peak of the crisis, their assets had by shrunk €250 billion. The Dutch have one of the highest feel-good factors in Europe (95%, But the most important factor was no doubt to be found elsewhere: found be to doubt no was factor important most the But 3 which left them with huge amounts of of amounts huge with them left which 5 4

9 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 10 fondapol | political innovation on anumberofmatters. views conflicting express and resilience, for capacity country’s their of look. However, the Dutch do not necessarily share the expert assessment out- medium-term country’s the of view bright relatively a prompting recoveries, past of experience the with recover,especially to economy debt. This would tend to inspire confidence in the capacity of the Dutch national their mention to not inflation, and the unemployment both on lid keep to capacity their demonstrated have Dutch the addition, In Table 6. beat peopleinEurope. opposite in the preceding spring, when they were among the most down- exact the was situation the that noting worth is It upbeat. more was – economies global indeed, and, European entire the also economy,but Dutch the for only not – outlook economic short-term the of view their situation, personal their on impact direct a with areas in neighbours’ their to similar were responses people’s Dutch while Union: European entire the across found be can that perceptions collective and erations consid- personal between gap same the highlight above tables two The Table Your professional situation The economic situation in[your country] Your household’s financial situation (“Better”, as a%) when it comes to...? will the next twelve months be better, worse or the same, What areyour expectations for the next twelve months: Your professional situation (“Very satisfied” or “fairly satisfied”, asa%) following? How would you judge the current situation ineach of the The employment situation in[your country] The employment situation in [your country] The economic situation in[your country] Eurobarometer 71, September 2009. 2 1 (sourceStandard: Eurobarometer 72, January 2010) . (source:Standard Eurobarometer 72, January 2010) . 6 European Union 22 28 54 23 19 13 21 Netherlands Netherlands 42 52 54 29 65 19 19 “living together”. of notion Dutch the at look a have to necessary be will it phenomenon, this understand to surveys; opinion all in perceptible is serenity. mixture and This perplexity of blend a reflect Dutch the of and religious beliefs; and, lastly, the redefinition of the Netherlands’ place inanenlargedEuropeanUnionwith27members. the of redefinition the lastly, and, beliefs; religious and cultures with different often minorities, ethnic significant integrate to need the population; ageing an and globalisation of context the in state bours, were facing a three-pronged challenge: the survival of the welfare neigh- their of most like Dutch, the when time a at emerged crisis The 8. 7. research anddevelopmentpolicy(R&D). policy,even environmental and and debt public of management the on of pensions and healthcare, and that of education, and also has a bearing to the question of intergenerational choices, namely between the funding linked closely state, is welfare the of future issues, the these of first The Welfare state and intergenerational choices the national identity.national the of pillars the of one become gradually has 70s and 1960s the in built latter categoryintermsofthefuturefundingstatepensions. the in rate employment the of importance the shows years).This (15-64 age working of people two every for over and 65 aged Netherlands the underscore the extent of the problem: by then, there will be one person in age in the Netherlands) account for 15% of the total. Projections for 2050 tion is currently aged under 20, while people aged over 65 (the retirement respect, within the European average. Less than one-quarter of the popula- Netherlands, like all its neighbours, is in the process of ageing. It is, in this the that shows expectancy,population life Dutch the of structure age the as the SSN, conducted by the Sociaal en Culturel Planbureau and published inNovember 2009. thestateon survey thesocialof welfare system sociale(DeNederlandstaat van hereinafter), referred to people’sDutchpolitical priorities,topof theaccording one to Maintainingcountry’s securityis socialthe All the demographic indicators below aredrawn from CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek) data. In reality, it could be said that the shifting and ambiguous responses ambiguous and shifting the that said reality,be In could it With the combined effect of a moderate birth rate (11‰) h calne ha i epcal pifl n ht h wlae state welfare the that in painful especially is ahead challenge The THE NETHERLANDS INTHE NETHERLANDS THEFACE OF STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES: 8 The Dutch version, known as known version, Dutch The REBUILDING THEDIKES , is verzorgingstaat, 7 samenlevenor , and increasing 11 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 12 fondapol | political innovation provides all with an enviable basic income, and personal personal and income, basic enviable an with people Dutch all provides sion system is a blend of a state-run pay-as-you-go scheme (AOW), which limiting thetransferofcurrentchargestofuturegenerations. thereby 2007, and 1997 between points 30 by narrowed which debt, public in reduction spectacular a nications).Together, sparked has this service and privatising numerous sectors (transport, energy, civil telecommu- the of weight the reducing strict, very remained has policy fiscal power.in been has that,party of whatever top – On schemes private to funding public from aswitch and benefits in reduction schemes, tion protec- various the into entry the directions: on conditions restrictive three increasingly in reforms, successive of one been has years 25 last theearly 1980s, tosubmergeDutchsociety. in threatened, expenditure collective of flow the metaphor, country’s overall competitiveness. In other words, to use an appropriate the and finances public the both undermine unchecked,to if threatened that, model a of limits financial the show to combined population the of ageing the and globalisation of wave fresh a shocks, oil successive natural other from benefiting resources, namelytheabundantGroninguegasfield. time same the at while nation, the of the depths in resources symbolic significant mobilised which project, short,feat.In engineering an itself in is environment natural its of modelling its survival: physical for 1970s.the in slogan ular fight long Netherlands’ the to back harks This pop- a quote to samenleving), society”(maakbare engineered a “socially of idea the by driven been society,has Dutch of parts all in mately legiti- intervene to desire the as itself expressing determination,state’s Lastly,the movement. Socialist powerful a by reinforced and recycled by the profound egalitarian aspirations stemming from Protestantism, from stemming aspirations egalitarian profound the by citizens.its for compounded concern is real This has that state a simply model.is British It the of connotations material strictly the have it does nor system; French all-encompassing the like not is state welfare Dutch the accordingly, “care”: and “concern” of notions the covering tality, men- collective the forming values fundamental with entwined closely 9. ideology of anation where the Catholics have inmany respects been “Calvinised”. but the length of its social and political dominance makes it, in the well-known Marxian vision, the receivedContrarydominanttowisdom,Protestantism neverhaspredominantbeentheNetherlands,the religion in The results have nevertheless been mixed in the various areas. The pen- the over policy social Dutch of history the that indeed so much So realities: harsh against up come has programme ambitious this But is a genuine social genuine a is samenleving maakbare 9

return tooldhabits… a prompt well could crisis current the and GNP), of (4.1% Europe costly in most the of one remains scheme the down, are numbers inva- lidity though Even cycle? the break help others), the for market the job to return affected, seriously most the for (indemnities invalidity of degree the of basis the on treatment of difference radical a in ered ush- and Act) (WorkingCapacity WIA to scheme’sname the changed two yearsofaperson’s invalidity, totheirformeremployer. reinforcing checks and transferring the financial burden, during the first benefits, reducing by sails scheme’s the trimming at aimed 1980s late the to back dating reforms of series a despite age.was working This of population the of beneficiaries, i.e. 13% million 1 nearly had and GNP of 2000s,6% the WAOearly than the less Indeed,by no for accounted statistics.unemployment cut helped has it because politicians with ular pop- also is it benefits, of level high the to due unions the by accepted painlessly,jobs cut to businesses restructuring by used play: in interests various the of conjunction speciality,explosive national the from stems veritable a become since and 1967 in scheme,created “fortune”this of results.ambivalent their and reforms of march long the sustainable The state, welfare the of excesses the of illustration best the provides tion opinion surveys, oneofDutchpeople’s mainpreoccupations. in remains, healthcare happens, it As treatments. in inequality patent flexible,more system the make helped threshold certain engendered but privatise health insurance for most people whose earnings were above a to decision The operations. urgent for even lengthening hospitals, in with lists rationed, waiting being was healthcare where 2000s early the in situation a to led prescriptions about rules strict and restrictions retirement agebyphasesfrom65to67startingin2020. agreement, coalition the the increase in to contained pledge a honouring moved, recently government outgoing the Lastly, free. very were they which during period long a after control, strict under placed been have (VUT) plans retirement trends.Early demographic with cope to country the enabled far so have which funds, pension of shape the in schemes, 10. country third-biggestEurobarometer,recentthemostpreoccupationpeople citedastheDutch ofis In it Will the most recent of these reforms (2005), which symbolically symbolically which (2005), reforms these of recent most the Will (WAO)Act Insurance ques- Invalidity without the of reform the But The results are even more mixed in terms of healthcare: budgetary healthcare: of terms in mixed more even are results The after the overall economic situation and unemployment, but their leading personalpreoccupation. 10 for theirfor 13 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 14 fondapol | political innovation putting the country in second place in Europe (just behind Denmark) behind (just Europe in place second in country the putting increase in the employed population to 76% of potentially active people, the “activation” of the job market, together provided a clear result: a big early. leged backgrounds, 13% of the 18-24 age group leave the school system underprivi- from children for results improved and rate dropout school base, hasalsohelpedbolsterthesocialwelfareandgovernmentbudgets. tax and contribution social the that,extending rate by employment an – nearly half the jobs in the country being part-time being country the in jobs the half nearly part-time work (the Dutch are the champions of Europe in this area, with R&D spending (1.7% of GNP, compared with 3.8% for Sweden total of terms in Europe in ninth only tanks still country the but enon, multinationals (, AkzoNobel) partially makes up for this phenom- major Netherlands’ the in research applied of importance the doubt No Europe. in lowest the of one is disciplines technological and scientific in degrees of percentage The countries. European comparable of those with comparison in timid are efforts R&D badly public terms, budgetary too in faring not is education higher While countries. developed among levels lowest the of one is education to devoted GNP of 5% the that opinion.noting public worth for is concern It of source leading a it reforms on the other hand, the system is clearly not coping today, making 14. 13. 12. 11. ture as a percentage of GNP has fallen by 20% in the space of 20 years. nature of the method and the extent of the results: government expendi- gradual the both demonstrates figure over. key is field, One Groningue thought, byfosteringsocialcalm, trainingandmassconsumerism. generally is than globalisation of demands the with tune in more be to prove fact in could that system a of resilience the of proof the as them to point sails.Others the of trimming the simply as others by and state welfare the of end the as some by depicted are intervention state and poses athreattothecountry’s long-termcompetitiveness. Source: Eurostat. Source: SSN. Source: Eurostat. 25% of jobs held by men arepart-time, this isthe case for 75% of jobs held by women. Source: Eurostat. There is a very big difference between men and women in respect to part-time work: while Results in education have been less favourable: despite a decline in the Still, measures taken in this area or others taken on early retirement or rne, h cletv pry f h 17s lt y h gs f the of gas the by lit 1970s, the of party collective the Granted, system welfare social the in upheavals profound occasionally These 13 ih pnig us n h oe ad n mslcd teaching misplaced and hand one the on cuts spending With 11 ) and, more broadly,and,more ) 14 ). This 12

the recipientsociety”. for and immigrants for both achievement, considerable a constituting issue hasjumpedupthelistofpreoccupations, andnowranksfifth. This reforms. government and crisis system stock-market a the of by future undermined the about deal great a worry they amount), total their half (nearly pensions of funding private the for record European the hold Dutch the The while respects: government.all in exemplary is of pensions of issue parties the for cost political high a at come see, will we have, as – made and demanded – sacrifices samenleventhe .But their of foundations financial the protect to destined dikes the rebuilt metaphor,the with gradually have Netherlands the that said be could it peacefully.stick Tocohabiting apparently all funding public and vate pri- system, pay-as-you-go a and insurance private with mixed, now is solidarity.and pragmatism of system blend welfare a social by The and to the crisis in the welfare state by protecting it against its own excesses safety netavailableforanyoneinneed. a work,with and responsibility individual by assistance,but wide-scale successful “integration” into society), they are now to be achieved not by (personal “emancipation”same and the “fulfilment”, remain objectives overall the while reformulation: its rather but discourse, dominant the with break clear a much so not involve will order to return the that be could It surveys. opinion in scores high obtains consistently that value solidarity,to commitment profound a with parties three included tion a coali- outgoing the States”and United the not is Netherlands noted that “the has Minister Prime The liberalism. unrestrained to in giving is Netherlands the that this from infer to wrong be nevertheless would It 16. 15. that “the integration of allochtoons 2004 to look into these issues came to very positive conclusions, finding by theirrecordintheseareas. The parliamentarycommissionformedin embarrassed particularly be to need Dutch the that Not worries. and people’s Dutch of number frustrations good a – simplification siderable gration and integration. These twin issues crystallise – at the price of con- The same desire to rebuild the dikes can also be seen in respect to immi- The integration challenge n fiil uc triooy a “lohon i a eiet ih t es oe aet on outside the born parent one least at with Netherlands.is a resident an “allochtoon” terminology, Dutch official In Source: Eurobarometer 72, January 2010. All things considered, the Dutch appear to have started responding started have to appear Dutch the considered, things All 16 has been a partial or total success, 15 15 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 16 fondapol | political innovation Surinam or the Dutch Antilles. immigrant workers from the earlier of period and the families mass arrival of immigrants the from of regrouping the phenomena: two of tion of Turks andMoroccans, startedinthe1960s. numbers large involving immigration, contemporary of wave latest the French Jews,Huguenots) refers to a period that was well and truly over when Ashkenazi and (Iberian newcomers accepting of tradition try’s coun- the on bearing wisdom received the regard, this In Africa.South leaving for North America, Australia and New Zealand – not to mention unlike , was a country of emigration until the 1950s, with people tion is a new one for Dutch society, bearing in mind that the Netherlands, conclusions.unbiased immigra- draw mass to of order challenge in The are familiar inliterature, faces politicsandthemedia. Dutch” “New team. football national the in just not and – society Dutch in successes considerable up notched have Allochtoons France. or Kingdom United the in seen those like riots urban rienced tries. And despite periodic tensions, the Netherlands has not so far expe- coun- neighbouring many in counterparts their than situation enviable hy o n te cutis Fac, wteln, Belgium). Switzerland, (France, countries other in do they not “Westerners”)are than whom of half under just (20%, population with 133,000newarrivals. figures, immigration record posted Netherlands the 2001, In century. 21st the of start the at seekers asylum for destinations top the of one Netherlands the making , asylum political generous by exercised iig tnad ad vn education, even and standards living 19. 18. 17. grant populations will become the majority immi- in the country’s that three fact biggest the Moreover, movements. populist by exploited and opinion public by echoed largely is Fortuyn) (Pim full” is Netherlands of the most densely populated in Europe – and that the feeling that “the important to bear in mind that the Netherlands is a small country – one ethnic statistics, which arestandard inthe Netherlands. Internationalcomparisons complicatedare theexistenceby otherwise,or fromone countryanother,to of This followed the independence of Surinam and the autonomy of the Antilles. true, however, that assessment methods and criteria have been the object of fierce debate (source: SSN). theIn space 10of years, the percentage allochtoonof pupils withpoor results has fallen significantly. is It This wave was suddenly amplified in the mid-1970s by the conjunc- the by mid-1970s the in amplified suddenly was wave This Here again, it is important to put things into an historical perspective lohon n dut ersn a mle pretg o te total the of percentage smaller a represent doubt no Allochtoons Without doubt, there has been success in the areas of housing policy,housing of areas the in Withoutsuccess doubt,been has there 18 This was compounded by the attraction 17 hr mgat ejy more a enjoy migrants where 19 u i is it But account foronly14%ofpupilsingeneralsecondaryeducation. allochtoons years, ten last the over achieved progress the despite And (VMBO). education applied middle-level preparatory of period short a than more nothing to condemned be to looks children immigrant ation ments in the 1980s and 90s described as a “country of immigration”. of “country a as described 90s and 1980s the in ments Netherlands,the in remain to destined clearly were docu- official which that minorities – regroupings family from stemming minorities large of remained. But above all, the policy went against the genuine integration have reality,advantages In home.these return to vocation their of tion 1970s) was never particularly compatible with the simultaneous affirma- immigrant workers (often thrown out of work after the oil shocks in the efit of the generous social advantages given by the Dutch welfare state to this area – and offered much scope for potential contradictions. The ben- unofficial policy goal was clearly the inspiration behind public policy in 1990s.This the of end the culture”until one’soriginal of preservation budgets, insufficient inconsistenciesandevenatouchofnaivety. citing board, the across years 30 last the over policy tion integra- public criticising by opinion majority the echoed commission same very the fact, In conclusions. positive such to come have should process integration spontaneous the into inquiry parliamentary the that munity (2.8 times on average on times (2.8 munity com- the on depending Dutch, “native”the among than higher times four and two between is rate unemployment Turkishthe communities, and Moroccan the in especially rare, are marriages Mixed might. it as Several factors imply that the integration process is not working as well problems. integration of acuteness the underscores 2020s the in cities 22. 21. 20. to population mix in the surrounding area. surrounding the in mix population to relation in – or,people – inversely,Dutch allochtoons native of extent, considerable a to overrepresentation,sometimes the in resulted has but makes it easy for parents to send their education children to of schools in other freedom zones, of principle the because is This scholen). (witte between segregation “black”(zwarteschools scholen and ) “white”ones ethnic minorities serving prison terms and, in schooling, there is Netherlands the European country with the highest level of people from Source: SNN. Allochtoons account for more than 80%of enrolments in half the schools inAmsterdam. Source: SSN The biggest error was to maintain the goal of “integration with the with “integration of goal the maintain to was error biggest The least the say to surprising was it mind, in these like numbers With 20 ), high delinquency rates have made the made have rates delinquency high ), 21 second-gener of mass The de facto 22 - 17 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 18 fondapol | political innovation has indeedbeenimplemented inthisarea. strictly speaking, longer,a no “country of is immigration”. country Pim Fortuyn’sthe programme – Netherlands the in debate public rarely in is raised that point a and – words other In Europe. in else anywhere seen not phenomenon a 2008), in (except 2003 since flows migratory people leftthecountry, anunprecedentednumbersincethe1950s. inconjunction 2008, and 2006 between arrivals, flows: 125,000 emigration in increase an with new of flow the restricted quickly measures drastically.These restricted been has asylum political for applications on decisions unfavourable appealing of possibility regroupings,the and obliged to learn Dutch, age and income conditions are applied for family are applicants immigrants: new for considerably toughened been have change.Conditions profound undergone has policy immigration Dutch a profoundindifferencetowardsthem? or cultures foreign for respect genuine a terms: defining its in contained tural society” cameasunderwiththeriseofghettosandambiguities of the 19 the of of the “pillarisation”, or origin the is which – country the run to level national the at cooperated areas,all in leaders organisation respective own their their and for sible various religious or ideological groups. The various pillars were respon- pation within a “segregated” society, built on pillars (zuilen) comprising emanci- collective ensuring at aimed policy a workers: and Catholics as underprivileged and “natives”,Jews such periods,namely earlier in ties national tradition of integration, which worked well for foreign minori- has notmasteredthecultureofitsnewhome? it if safeguarded be generation second the of future Dutch the can How 23. a watershed article by Socialist Paul Scheffer,Paul Socialist by article watershed a tion and secularisation. Already slammed by Pim Fortuyn and blasted in Netherlands was in the throes of an accelerated process of individualisa- 20 to thesystemadoptedattimeoftheirconstructionasanation. countries confronted with the same phenomenon of mass immigration – Paul Scheffer, “Het Multiculturele Drama”, NRC th Together, these factors have left the Netherlands with slightly negative 2003, since so more even and 1990s, late the since Accordingly, The Netherlands no doubt acted, in this respect, in accordance with its But this was a mistake, both historically and culturally, in the late- the culturally,in and historically both mistake, a was this But century context. It was applied to new migrants at a time when the when context.time century a at migrants new to applied was It th century. In other words, the Dutch went back – like other like – back went Dutch the words, other century.In verzuiling, which emerged gradually at the end , 29 January 2000. 23 the ideal of a of “multicul- ideal the allochtoons areexpectedtoadoptor, atthevery least, respect. which values”, and standards Dutch “fundamental of pre-eminence the more common to hear people, especially in the government, talking about of ethniclanguages. detriment the to schools in emphasised now is which of teaching the language, Dutch the with starts Trainingemancipation. collective on longer no and – employment and training via particular in – insertion individual on focused been years, ten last the for has, In any policy event, public Constitution. the Dutch of article first the in features non-discrimination,of principle whichthe with contradiction in be to (inbur gering) examinations (at their own cost), failed because it was deemed civic-integration imposed have would which Verdonk, Rita Minister Integration then by 2006 in announced plan siderably.The phenomenon. Policy with respect to allochtoons has also changed con- so-called brides”the “import end to as cousins,so between marriages for the pending reform of the Dutch Civil Code, which aims to outlaw same The migrants. new of tide the stemming towards directed clearly policy a reverse not did date, that at symbolic largely measure, asylum had been rejected but who were still in the Netherlands, but the ment in 2007, an amnesty for all people whose application for political Bouyeri, a radical Islamist of Moroccan descent, but born, raised and raised born, but descent, Moroccan of Islamist radical a Bouyeri, in an street in November 2004, at the hands of Mohammed from this phenomenon. The violent murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh the Netherlands, which previously believed itself to have been preserved to oversimplify. dictions of the multicultural ideal could well be replaced by a tendency contra- internal and media.naivety the The of most and class political the in reaction hostile a sparked initially having – integration chtoon taken up by Pim Fortuyn, has tended to crystallise the debate over allo- being before Bolkestein Frits leader by Liberal 1990s in the early raised Islam,often of issue 2001,the context.Since post-911 the in situation (the Muslimsecond-highest proportion in Europe after France) complicates the are allochtoons non-Western of 60% roughly that fact The Polarisation around Islam and the debate about identity While there is no talk of “assimilation” in the French sense, it is becoming The PvdA no doubt won, as a condition of its entry into the govern- It is true that several fundamentalist groups have been uncovered in uncovered been have groups fundamentalist several that true is It - 19 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 20 fondapol | political innovation Here again, after a series of controversies, the affair finished badly, when University and to serve as the Town Hall’s special adviser on integration. created as part of the programme at the prestigious chair the occupy to studies, Islamic in expert Swiss a Ramadan,Tariq figure,controversial a of choice their since problems few a experienced Integration”.and have appeasement and dialogue of supporters the But of theme the on programme ambitious an “Islam launched has city The city of Rotterdam, run by a major of Moroccan origin, . equally active minority – and the partisans of a Dutch Islam, such as the but small very a – fundamentalism Islamic in believers Islam, of saries Ali hadlefttheNetherlandsforUnitedStates. controversy,Hirsi the of sick passport.Too late: Dutch her back given froing,to Ayaanbeing and Hirsi Ali toing much Netherlands,led,after The depth of feeling engendered by the affair, both inside and outside the abuses. asylum political against fighting time the at Verdonk,was who Rita – favourite media another and – Liberal Ali’sHirsi fellow by time she declaration,was stripped of her Dutch citizenship. This false decision was made in record a on based was Netherlands the in asylum ical polit- for request her that television on acknowledged having upheaval: political major a provoked case Ali Hirsi the 2006, In “provocations”. her condemned who allies, political her for embarrassment an became Ali Hirsi language, her down tone to refusing but surveillance, police constant target.Under victim’snext named Ayaanhis body as Hirsi Ali Van Gogh’s murder). The letter left by Theo Van Gogh’s for murderer on motive his direct the was work this of filming (the VanGogh Theo by touching onwomen. ShehadworkedonSubmission, thelastfilmmade and a virulent critic of a number of Islamic traditions, particularly those from Somalia – who was awarded political asylum in the Netherlands – originally parliamentarian, Liberal a Ali, Hirsi Ayaanof that was case Amsterdam and death threats against public figures. The most spectacular dents. They include the bashing of homosexuals by young Moroccans in an importedphenomenon. just not was violence Islamic that Netherlands,showed the in educated 24.Theattempted terroristattack aircraftheaded25DecemberUnitedthe boardStatesan on for 2009on by international Islamist networks. Netherlands’thereminder of a exposureto was SchipholAirportboarded hadplaceterroristatthe who a Since these events, the split has widened between the radical adver radical the between widened has split the events, these Since Tension has regularly been revived since 2004 by a succession of inci- 24 - illuminating not only great figures of the national tradition, but also less events, key of selection a namely past, the windows”into open “50 to than further no went curriculum new the setting with tasked mission identity, national which is what the a number of politicians of were accused of view seeking. The a com- cementing at aimed story” “national new a to no but knowledge, of transmission the to yes say to together came historians debate, much issues.After memorial underlying the on controversy big a was there condemned, unanimously was the population of part large a in past the of ignorance virtual the history.While Dutch in themselves place to pupils allowing outlines of transmission and setting the history,namely of teaching the for “canon”a of 2005, citizenship” (nieuwe burgerschap) aremultiplying. Balkenende,Peter Jan Minister Prime Democrat a for need the on “new Christian to Amsterdam, of mayor Labour the Cohen, Job from sides, all on comments And others. to “nationalism” and sort “navel-gazing”of this left previously that country a in phenomenon new a is This today.Dutch be to it is what of question the on debates articlesand impassioned books, so, of or tenyears last the over flowering, dinary which requiresgenuineself-awarenessandaclearlystatedsetofrules. foreigners, accept to “natives”of capacity the and Islam, soft-pedalling involves society, which Dutch into fit to capacity migrants’ unknowns: of expression, of of Islam with the fundamental principles of Dutch compatibility the on focused is of debate the Each that shown 2009.has events of these summer the in removal his to led and outcry huge a sparked network television Iranian an with involvement Ramadan’s 26. 25. cite Paul Scheffer, redefining its basic identity: “integration”, yes, but integration in what? To tion andequalsubsidiesforstatereligiousschools. educa- of freedom the for basis the provides non-discrimination,which of the compatibility of these principles with others, no less vital, such as question the by perplexed more even is equality.opinion sexual Public In hisbook Het Land vanAankomst (The Land of arrival),published in2005. both priority, leading a nationally as expression and at the European of level freedom (sources: Eurobarometer of guarantee the 72 and SSN). list Dutch the Europe, in Singularly One of the main public initiatives in this respect was the writing, in writing, the was respect this in initiatives public main the of One extraor the in measured be can identity of crisis Netherlands’ The The issue of integration accordingly reflects on Dutch society itself, society Dutch on reflects accordingly integration of issue The 25 religious pluralism, separation of church and state,and and church of pluralism,separation religious 26 we could define the problem as an equation with two samenleven: freedom - 21 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 22 fondapol | political innovation ht“h Ntelns ol b a etr onr i tee ee fewer migrants”. were there if country better a be would Netherlands “the that believe (39%) again many as about just but society”, enriches cultures different of “presence the that feel people Dutch of percent Forty-one polarisation.and confusion growing others,is for there as issue this for desire toleavetheNetherlands? the express whom of 18% extraction, foreign of people young many by felt discomfort the for responsible climate this Is disappeared. have to mid-1990s,appears the until omnipresent so was correctness,which perception of the “mildness” of its political morays, from which political characterised by an aggressiveness that sits fairly uneasily with the Dutch o akr vns icuig oe ht ok lc i te Netherlands’ “Golden Age”. the in place took that some including events, darker to pride history, legitimate Dutch of from causes figures from well-known 29. 28. 27. who imprudently the Liberals, notably partisans, official its of some by even Europe, to attributed scapegoat of role treaty’sthe supporters, to treaty,constitutional the the of of start arrogance favour the in campaigning late The (60.7%). election European 2004 the massive in of abstention heels the on voters) of 61.6% by (rejected 2005 in treaty the resounding failure of the referendum on the European constitutional opinion,public with in malaise the of victim other the been has Europe The Dutch paradoxes inEurope: the end of the Euro-malaise? who freelystigmatiseinturnotherethnicminorities… allochtoons, some with relations excellent having from them impede not does language their But racist. overtly is language “natives”whose class working with sympathising 70s, and 1960s the of movement tion emancipa- the of light leading a D66),66, (Democraten 66 Democrats of leader historic the VanMierlo,Hans to references clear with tician, Socialist Eddy Terstall, (critical) by film grating the instance, for with, disorientation, this of Source: COB. shows trends inpublic opinion on awide range of topics, ranging from politicalpublicationPlanbureau lifeCultureel to important en Sociaal quarterly social This issues. COB. as hereinaftertoreferred 2009, of quarter perspectives), third citizen of survey Burgerperspectiven (Ongoing Onderzoek Continu 2009/3 Source: Available at http://entoen.nu, the website set up to brief teachers on the contents of these “windows”. It would be excessive to speak purely and simply of a rise in racism; in rise a of simply and purely speak to excessive be would It Observers in any event have been struck by the tone of these debates, 29 otmoay uc cnm poie a od reflection good a provides cinema Dutch Contemporary 27 Vox populi (2008), which depicts a leftwing poli- 28 cause. However, more than four years after the event, one could argue, could one event, the after years However,cause.four than more enlarged European Union. the of disappearance the Netherlands”against “tiny arms suddenly a in up took Dutch the while model”, social “French the of disappearance the feared Constitution.French the The founding on back their Union’sturn to members European the of two caused that bearings loss their same of the is it and situations, two the between clearly similarities were many there countries, two the in differed hue political its and treaty.proposed the reject to country vote No the for reasons the While expressed theirfearofseeingadilutiontheDutchidentity. treaty,the the on information of of lack their victory vote.slammed Voters, No who the in factors all were contribution Dutch the of sive, exces- deemed amount, the and theme,“bureaucracy”the with played 30. Table Union is...? (“Good” or “fairly good”, as a%) Generally speaking, do you think that [your country] ’s membership of the European not to trust it. (“Trust” or “tend to trust”, as a%) For each of the following European bodies, please tell me ifyou tend to trust it or tend (“Very optimistic” or “fairly optimistic”, as a%) pessimistic about the future of the European Union? Would you say that you arevery optimistic, fairly optimistic, fairly pessimistic or very (“Strongly agree” and “agree”, as a%) benefited or not from being a member of the European Union? Taking everything into account, would you say that [your country] has on balance

Europe from which the Netherlands had quite simply disappeared. The(SocialistSP Party) caused sensationa duringthe referendum campaign posterwitha showingmap of a fw as fe Fac, h Ntelns hs eae h second the became thus Netherlands the France, after days few A 3 (sourceStandard: Eurobarometer 72, January 2010) . European Union European Union European Union European Union 48 66 53 57 30 In both causes, identity issues were the root Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands Netherlands 60 79 74 74 23 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 24 fondapol | political innovation noted in others. For instance, when asked to describe their “overall view” look. The responses to some questions do not reflect the Euro-enthusiasm European election, inthespringof2009. the with conjunction in conducted 71, Eurobarometer standard from The results are in any event more contrasted than the conclusions drawn 66, plead for a more nuanced reading of Dutch public opinion on Europe. Democraten Europhile less no the of success the hand other the on and resolutely Eurosceptical Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) results, with on the one hand the increase in support for ’s tion, reflecting relatively muted Euro-enthusiasm to say the least. And the elec- European 2009 June the at (63%) abstention in record new the is champions, againstallcomers–evenFranceofsupranationality? all, have the Dutch not always been determined Europeans and even the normal” after the early troubled years of the new century wins out. After attached totheeuro. Dutch people had invested their savings, the Dutch are now particularly of lots where Iceland, of wreckage financial the anxiety with witnessed Having currency. single the by provided shield the to due scepticism, financial crisis, namely renewed confidence in the euro, replacing earlier ple’sEurope.with relationship the of effects the by compounded is This peo- Dutch the calmed and malaise growing a for outlet an provided vote No the effect: paradoxical a had 2005,have in well vote could No tion, wherethe2005 “Euro-malaise” continues. temptation would be backed up by a comparison with the French situa- factors.This exogenous to it attribute to and/or accident, an as endum club.refer 2005 the of failure the see to therefore tempting be would It the of members happiest the be to overall appear and – members new – sometimes along with the Scandinavian countries, sometimes with the Union rankamongthemostfavourableofany27members. thing of the past, now that Dutch people’s feelings towards the European 72,Eurobarometer the Standard that of light the in “Euro-malaise”a is 31. raised the question of the guarantee given to Dutch and British deposits. thewasvexedIt question Icesave,of theonlineIcelandic bankthat collapsed 2008,theautumnofthat in In truth, the results of the various Eurobarometers are worth a closer There are, however, serious objections to this interpretation. The first to “return a of hypothesis the others, as well as question this On In short, the “burial” of the constitutional treaty, after the Netherlands’ respondents upbeat most the among are Dutch questions,the all On 31 - bers is another clear inspiration behind Dutch policy, which has officially with legitimateandeasilygraspednationalinterest. consistent is It opinion. public and diplomacy Dutch of preoccupation all too many episodes in history, from Louis XIV to Hitler, is a constant of the “large countries” onEuropeanconstruction. influence the limiting or neutralising at aimed it all,because above and third,from America; protection and alliance the Atlantic for preference second, because it went hand-in-hand, in the field of defence, with a clear simultaneous Dutch demand, namely accession for the United Kingdom; another with incompatible was it because first option: political genuine a than rather stance negotiating a is position this that agree historians Most championed. long has Netherlands the which supranationality, governments.successive of for policies holds European same the The of ambiguities the and identity national Dutch the with familiar are who place andhasabadimage. its finding trouble having is hand, other the the on level and national hand strictly one the on level global the between limbo in Europe, that appear would it Union, European the than life personal their on impact greater much a having as see they which sphere, national their openness totheworldasawholeratherthanjustitsEuropeancorner. Nations inspire more confidence than Europe, signalling an idiosyncratic United the Similarly, belongs. Netherlands the which to EU27), the in number highest (the G20 the cited 41% act,whereas to placed well was Union European the that felt – 22% of average EU27 an with compared about the question best way a of dealing to with the response global their financial crisis. by Only strengthened 14% – were Europe to mitment 39% didnotexpressanopinionand11%wereunfavourable. view,while positive a had 48%) of average EU27 an 49% with (compared only reserved: relatively are Dutch the Union, European the of 32. more confident in the globalisation process than a good number of their neighbours. France) (source: Eurobarometer 71). Their long history as traders and colonisers has made the Dutchopportunityan much for their enterprises”, while expressed30% the opposing view (20% and 73% respectively in thepeak theof global financial in crisis, the spring of 2009, of 61% them still believed that “globalisation is Times,the Dutch see globalisation termsin of the opportunities it offers their Modern globalisation”,country. of “first Accordingly, that the even of beneficiariesat – and leadingplayers– theamong been Having The desire to have a voice in an enlarged Europe Union with 27 mem- by illustrated neighbours, powerful by dominated being of risk The observers to surprise a as come not will results ambivalent These of perception people’s Dutch account into takes also one When Doubts about the exact nature and depth of the Dutch people’sDutch com- the of depth and nature exact the about Doubts 32 25 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 26 fondapol | political innovation Balkenende or “retropolitics” “imaginary community”. Are theyaloneinthatrespect? an – were elders their than neighbours their of culture the with familiar less deal good added,a be should are,it who – today people Dutch most all as the opportunity to move around in a larger space. It is no longer, for above seen is Europe so in, hemmed feel sometimes country,and ulated World War has gradually died. The Dutch live in a small and densely pop- tions and has lost its affective implications as the generation of the Second considera- practical by foremost and first motivated was mitment,which illustration ofthisnewdirection. telling most the provide Lisbon Treaty the of out anthem the and flag European the as such symbols supranational take to – victory notched up another it where – diplomacy by Dutch waged fight The eralism. fed- of direction the in ambitions political any precludes clearly now It defence. and justice policing, including sectors, numerous in eration The HaguehaswoninnegotiationsfromNicetoLisbon. Council or representation in the , subjects on which tion to the EU budget to the calculation of voting rights in the European contribu- the from interest, national the of defence point-by-point a to been “reoriented”2000s.early the since terms,European In led has this 33. called. being elections early to led has 2007 February since coalition ruling the within crisis severe the present-daydikecounts? are metaphor,who this Touse formed. was governance of model ular partic- very Netherlands’ the where (waterschappen), boards water in to watch over the dikes. He ran the local communities, grouped together water,against battle the managing for responsible specifically more and In traditional Dutch society, a key figure, the dike count (dijkgraaf), was governance was a central focus for Pim Fortuyn, and in truth touched truth in and Fortuyn, Pim for focus central a was governance The next parliamentary elections, initially scheduled for the spring of 2011, willtake place on 9June 2010. But it also underscores the limits to the Netherlands’ European com- European Netherlands’ the to limits the underscores also it But coop- strengthened by up backed been has approach pragmatic This The importance of that question is underscored by the fact that the that fact the by underscored is question that of importance The MANAGING THECRISIS ANDTHECRISIS OF MANAGEMENT WHO IS WATCHING OVER THEDIKES? 33 utemr, h qetoig f Dutch of questioning the Furthermore, all graduates of the Free University of Amsterdam (VUA), Amsterdam of University Free the of graduates all were and (gereformeerd) upbringings Protestant strict received all who Rouvoet) André leader Democratic Christian and Bos Wouter leader Labour Balkenende, Peter Jan Minister (Prime men three featured has ented voters. ented disori- with chord a correctly,struck function to is samenleven Dutch the if board the across respected be must values” which warden), en and (normen “standards on discourse cherished Minister’s that doubt Prime no the is There coalitions? different of succession a in albeit 2002, since party his of top on stay to managed has who Balkenende, part of the Dutch Bible Belt, southern the forming stronghold Calvinist a , in Born telling. “Christian nation”. a remains Netherlands the that proclaimed famously Minister Prime the all,historical “fundamentals”.After and cultural its on back fallen has country the that imply could government, outgoing the in Union) the presence of two Christian parties (the CDA and the smaller Christian racy characterisedbyahighlevelofconfidenceinitselites. their neighbours, the Dutch project – and claim – the image of a democ- of number good a characterise that models confrontational the to trast context.con- national In the of light the in seen be must too,stakes the here But, Dutch. the to specific means no by are and Europe,Western their ineffectivenessandabdicationofthetruenationalinterest. elite,tuous”the irresponsibility,of their members the between relations the of “inces- denunciation the by dominated leader’swas list language popu- late the attacks: his of targets constant the were life, intellectual or economic,administration elites,and public national political in both the towers, ivory in stuck being for Criticised issues. of number a on 37. 36. 35. 34. on him to an extent, the man is an ideologist. Since writing his doctoral not perceived as such by the country’s intelligentsia, which looks down is he While bureau. scientific the of member a as apparatus CDA the

Zeeland, inthe South-West. North-West,country’sto the Friesland,in from found be to Protestantare communitiesorthodoxLarge since 2002, who also hailed from anorthodox Protestant background, and who also studied at the VUA. The list should also include ,Standards a andcentral values were seen by public opinionfigure as the biggest of issue facing the the countryCDA in2008 (source: and SNN). Minister Thefor Dutch have Justice one of the highest rates and of confidence Social in their domestic Affairs institutions in the entire European Union. Against this backdrop, how can we judge the leadership of Jan Peter Jan of leadership the judge we can backdrop,how this Against Such Such is no doubt the dream of a is man especially whose background In fact, such denunciations are a key trait of in Eastern and 35 Over recent years, the fact that the national government national the that fact years,the recent Over 37 Mr Balkenende spent his entire career in 34 36 as well as well as 27 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 28 fondapol | political innovation men in black”, to cite journalist Yoericite black”,to in men Albrecht, of form this whether seen tories.be little to of remains “retropolitics It vic- electoral successive his and popularity his to key reliable most the been has provokes, often it sarcasm the despite ordinariness, very His national pride.the and “values”,to identity return a themes: favourite and lover of Italy, but has nevertheless borrowed a number of Fortuyn’s than someone like Pim Fortuyn, a flamboyant homosexual, Bentley fan good father and a loving husband, he looks more like your average Joe past.A the of politicians reassuring so ever and discreet the of people reminds undisputedly skills, public-speaking of lack absolute as such pupil,model and Balkenende,boy faults,Mr behaved very his through conscientious well- a to resemblance his of and because Potter Harry as Known leaders. austere moderate, with Labour, and Democrats Christian the coalitions”between the “grand of guidance paternal the days,those in life under peaceful a led conformism) say also could one (although spiritedness public profound with infused people, nation, the 1950s, which marked the peak of for nostalgic is – people older particularly – population Dutch the of and 2002, and the agitated period that followed, it is possible that part thesis, 41. 40. 39. 38. public opinion to the “violet coalition” “violet the to opinion public of swathes large by attributed tolerance, of society the of excesses the rary Dutch society in the final quarter of the 19 the of quarter final the in society Dutch rary the central to proposal of , back harking one of the founders moral,of contempo- more society making and state the back rolling of goals twin short in etc.): unions, associations, churches, ilies, responsible for overseeing individuals within intermediate groups (fam- be should believes he society,which civil and state the between roles of today’s CDA, as well as the Free University of Amsterdam. of University Free the as well CDA,as today’s of components the of one and party political national first Netherlands’ Partij,theARP), (Anti-Revolutionaire Party Anti-Revolutionary the of founder the was Kuyper claimed. has Balkenende Mr heritage lectual Interview with the author. the Socialist Party (pale red). Thus named due to the colours of the two main government parties of the time: the Liberal Party (blue) and that each sphere of life (or each social group, especially religious groups) has its own distinct authority. French Revolution, defended the principle of sphere sovereignty (soevereiniteit in Kuyper,eigen kringan ), earlyor thetheorist notionof (Administrative regulation and social organisations). Submitted in 1992 and very significantly entitled, 38 he has consistently pleaded for a redefinition of the split in split the of redefinition a for pleaded consistently has he verzuiling in the face of the ambitions of the Leviathan state, represented by the Overheidsregelgeving en maatschappelijke organisaties verzuiling. In the collective imagi- 40 of the period between 1994 between period the of 41 th century, intel- whose will be up to dealing to up be will 39 After to suggestthatitcouldtopthe polling. as far so go surveys Democrats.Some Christian the to closer move and Labour beat would PVV the election, general a in votes into translate polls.opinion in gains impressive up notching consistently polls these If is and vote) the of 17% with second, (coming election European 2009 for Freedom (Partij voor of de Vrijheid, PVV), province was one of Catholic the winners of the very party,strongholds.His electoral Party the his the of one is Limburg,which in roots his emphasises and origins, Indo-Dutch his about tight-lipped member.is VVD former WildersMr not thestate, tomeetthischallenge. direction of his own convictions, by finding that it was up to society, and question of standards and values, pointed the Prime Minister back in the het Regeringbeleid, WRR), consulted by the government in 2003 on the voor (Wettenschappeke Raad Policy Government for Council Scientific body,political a so less even and the down lay to society,in body any of right the acknowledge not does and vidualistic indi - fundamentally remains it life, of walks all in impoliteness of tired be may population the While principles. these of content concrete on the agreement no is there reason: simple one for agenda, popular the on really not is morals public of restoration a that shown has Minister especially theyoungestones. voters, of majority a of desire the to corresponds truly it whether and with the big issues facing the country, beyond the current political crisis, 42. split withthe VVD. a forced ultimately integration on position hard-line whose Verdonk, Rita Liberal as parties,such established the in others,even by up taken been has cause the But club”. suicide “political a termed aptly Schoo Jan Hendrik Fortuyn,journalist Pim LPF),what (Lijst and List Fortuyn party,his become Pim had the what in asunder themselves tore quickly even after Pim Fortuyn’s death. Granted, Mr Fortuyn’s direct successors There is no disputing the lasting presence of a powerful populist current, The persistent call of populism and the crisis inthe ruling coalition Nederland), credited with two seats inParliament inopinion surveys early in2010. Netherlandstheevocativethe Proudofwith name(Trots party, ownop her foundVerdonk to Ms onwent u ipsind eae s o fcsd n er idr, another Wilders, Geert on focused now is debate impassioned But In this regard, the “standards and values” debate dear to the Prime the to dear debate values” and “standards the regard, this In 42 samenlevenrules. The 29 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 30 fondapol | political innovation has becomeapriority. spectives” survey (COB), the percentage was 64%. the wrong direction; at the very same time, in the quarterly “citizen per in going was Netherlands the that said people Dutch of 2009,36% of spring the in conducted Eurobarometer standard the country.In their future,the about concerned ofmore that are especially and 96%) with compared (82%, happiness personal their about unanimous less are by the Eurobarometer, notwithstanding their ambiguities. Dutch people crisis, shoulditlast, willinevitablyaggravate. discontent,of undercurrent tenacious yet perceptible barely the the that could well, if past experience is any judge, fail to resolve the problem of – victim the play to happy than more naturally,is and he – up Wilders and inciting hatred, will be tried next summer. discrimination Prosecutor, for Public the of support the with sations, organi- various by filed complaint a Geert of object Wilders,the is who that decided has Court Appeals Amsterdam the happens, public it As debate. from excluded being is he Verdonk: Rita and Ali Hirsi Gogh, Vanforgetting not and Ramadan, to Fortuyn from cage, collective the rattle who those all of cross the bearing Parliament,Geert is in Wilders abused regularly country’songoing “radicalisation”and the at looking with tasked the experts of of right”man group “far a a as by described outspoken Mr Wilders the scapegoat for the prevailing malaise. the Recently make to 2002, in were there as just attempts, been have there and polarising; extremely are personality and ideas his predecessor; his of abuse,on built humour and charisma the have not does he though even is speaking his Islam; and governance of issues the on emphasis clear a with Fortuyn, Pim of that to lot a owes Wilders’sMr discourse 45. 44. 43. terms and more repressive policies, order,and for goes same prison of toughening significant a despite the healthcare; to respect in marked particularly been has discontent of prisoners increased by athird between 1999 and 2004. Themaximum sentence allowed under the Penal Code was increased 2003in to years,30 and the number in formulation and the choices offered to respondents. theEuropean and Union migrants are towardsmuch Feelings more reserved surveys. nationalin the strictlylatter, in expressedalthough one are must also than take into mind account of differencesopenness greatercollectivesatisfactionofoutside world, the anddisplay,for thewordsother in effect”,“image an byaffected Eurobarometerbe thecould toresponses Dutch that infer to possible is it conclusions,but Itwould be necessary to conduct morea in-depth analysis and extend it to other countries to draw reliable Even this decision ha polarised public opinion, 50% of Dutch people condemn it, while 43% arefavourable. National opinion surveys paint a less rosy picture than that drawn that than picture rosy less a paint surveys opinion National 2002: in prevailing that unlike not is situation current the short, In 45 and, as we noted earlier, education 43 All these efforts to shut 44 Over recent years, - Dutch military engagement alongside the United States in 2003.These in States United the alongside engagement military Dutch the into inquiry the of conclusions the directly, more and, Srebrenica of memories painful by contaminated doubt no was adventure Afghan on thethrone. bility of Willem-Alexander (soon) replacing his mother, Queen Beatrix, possi- the of talk is there Orange-Nassau,when of time House a the at to attachment an profess still (86%) people Dutch of majority vast the Nevertheless, monarchy”. “representative a of partisans by criticisms annoyed people who are suffering due to the financial crisis, and spurred budget and the fiscal advantages enjoyed by some family members have disfiguring thehistoriccentreofDutchcapitalforlasttenyears. been has work where metro, Amsterdam the of line North-South the Brussels fast-rail link to the new railway station, not to mention soared on major transport infrastructure projects, from the Amsterdam- fury of the Flemish government; delays have accumulated and costs have the provoking thereby heels, its Minister,dragged Prime has the by led government,Dutch the the Westernof which Scheldt,deepening on the like issues, sensitive highly of management bad circles; ruling to close was that bank a DSB, of collapse recent the like “scandals”,of return the modest); quite actually was (which programme legislative entire its out carried having after steam of out run has coalition ruling the that feeling the place: in again once shocks,are 2002 the of time the at sive has never been popular, and where neutrality is a national trait, abroad national a involvement is neutrality where military popular,and been where never has country a In 2010. of summer the beyond in presence military Dutch the of NATO– by requested officially – extension the 2010),refused March (early writing of time the at elucidated been not had that circumstances in and cation prevari- much after PvdA,breakdown. The the triggered that Uruzgan, of province the in Afghanistan,in involvement Dutch was it time, This massacre.Srebrenica the into inquiry of commission the of conclusions the after ago years eight resign to forced was government Kok the as policy,foreign of just issue an by sparked was split coalition latest The 47. 46. The Netherlands did not take inany part European war between 1815 and 1940. opinion. The assassination attempt against the royal family on Queen’s Day in April 2009 was a shock to Dutch public Even the royal family has not been spared.royal been the not in has increase family The royal the Even deci- so crisis, political genuine a of ingredients the that be could It h aaoy ih h stain n 02 a b tkn vn further. even taken be can 2002 in situation the with analogy The 46 47 the 31 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 32 fondapol | political innovation conclusions, which were very harsh on the Prime Minister,Prime the on conclusions,harsh very were which 49. 48. like beingagitated”. Hedidn’t knowthehalfofit… and nothing seems good any more”. In short, he said, “the year [looked ] ridicule,to up held are population the of politicised is everything where tone […], where we the go from one sets extreme to another, caricature where where entire groups [climate…] polarised increasingly and tense attacked,terms,strong very in the aggressive,“increasingly increasingly ticularly serene. par At his party’s not last conference, is the Prime Minster himself agenda, the on also are crisis financial the from stemming choices difficult where Netherlands, the in climate prevailing the why making it illegal to or wear it – in most veil public places Islamic – the it is taxing easy to and understand Koran the banning include proposals and isnotmakingmuchprogress. crisis leadership a facing currently is SP the though even referendum, sorts,paper,on threat a just not is European 2005 the by shown was as forms of populism, left- and rightwing, in a “modern conservatism” on the extremely sensitive issue of pensions. The conjunction of the two which has built its support on the defence of existing benefits, particular SP), Partij, (Socialistische Party Socialist the by Netherlands the in fied commentators.rent,by minimised personi- or is misunderstood It often cur populist leftwing powerful a of existence the account into take to his reforms have also had a political cost. To evaluate this cost, we need would havebeenparticularlyvulnerableinthecomingmonths. Minister,Finance sitting the Wouteryear.Bos,leader election PvdA an ined for inclusion in the 2011 budget, which would in theory have been traditional voters, at a time when severe spending cuts were being exam- interests to maintain a coalition that was increasingly unpopular with its best Labour’s in was is however,whether remains, question the ment; engage- military Dutch the of unpopularity the to attributable doubt ment solidarity. govern- of coffin the in nail first the were and 2010, January in public

To quote Paul Schnabel, director of the Sociaal en Culturel Planbureau. the by appointed been had government Commission the itself... as surprise, a of somewhat as came This leadership. of a lack had shown Minister Prime the that informed, properly been not Chamber the insufficient, that was Iraq in war the justificationlegalfor thethat were Commission Davidsthe of conclusions main The In the light of the successive provocations of Geert Wilders, whose Wilders, Geert of provocations successive the of light the In will be able to point to his consistent record. But no is issue Afghan the on coalition the PvdA’sleave The to decision 48 were made were 49 of - - in other periods, even during the Golden Age, when there was a split a was there when Age, Golden the during even periods, other in debate public radical been has history.There Dutch in polarisation of experience past account into taking involves It observers. of minority a by cited only is it though emerges,even perspective long-term a from polarisation ofpublicopinion, whichappears tobeverydeeplyrooted. the and temptation populist the of persistence the account into take not This interpretation, undermined by today’s close. political ups and soon downs, does will 2000s the of parenthesis “regrettable” the that hoped is it where circles,country’s ruling the in prevalent very is that thinking lacking solid arguments in its favour, it could smack of the sort of wishful true to the tradition of Erasmus and Grotius. While this conclusion is not csooia ntoaim (rn Lechner), (Frank nationalism” “cosmopolitan of form a short, way.In open and pragmatic a in but Europe, tioning ques- identity; national the into withdrawal or xenophobia to in giving requirement, without a but integration making and flows migratory ling control- it; abandoning to opposed as globalisation regulated of work frame- the within state welfare the adjusting areas: all the in model Dutch of “resilience” the emphasises which observers, among discourse maintaining order. and crime, against fight the expression, of stability,freedom economic welfare, social of level high a keeping telling: extremely are 1998 since protective labour laws? The five constant political priorities of the Dutch of defence the to apply also not it does conservatism, for solutions.As visceral attachment to consultation (overleg) and is suspicious of radical a has society Dutch instances: word both the in “prudently”up it sums But age.conservative” with become “prudently have may 1980s the of end the at Planbureau Cultureel en Sociaal the by described population progressive” “prudently The vogue. in back are responsibility,morals) order,and (law right the of values traditional the countries, European has undeniably changed considerably over the last 20 years. As in many the verge of a revolution or a counter-revolution. The Dutch state of mind The prevailing crisis does not, however, imply that the Netherlands is on Historical perspective 51. 50. presentation, the best summary available inEnglish on change inDutch society over the last 50 years. His book, Source: SSN. So much so that another way of understanding the current situation current the understanding of way another that so much So Together, these priorities appear to be consistent with the dominant dominant the with consistent be to appear Together,priorities these The Netherlands, published by Routledge in 2008 is, despite a somewhat confused chronological 50 51 hc i atal very actually is which 33 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 34 fondapol | political innovation o itra Jot Roosendaal, Joost historian to which saw the demise of the the between “liberals”1960s,the struggle the and “confessionals”,and thinking –andhasbeenthroughoutthecountry’s history. of ways and aspirations antagonistic the between compromise ongoing cliché of a consensus society. Dutch society is in fact characterised by an imposed, isnowbeingcalledintoquestion. it correctness political the and 70s, and 1960s the of generation lious rebel- the of contribution the – things of scheme the into perfectly first that one but – turnaround historic spectacular a contested.In hotly are the last 40 years. Once again, past solutions no longer seem relevant and agitation is compounded by the new challenges that have sprung up over intervals over the last two centuries. In this light, today’s uncertainty and regular at experienced has it that transitions major the of one through social pacthasbeenquestionedatallthesetimes. century. If we look closely, we see that the profound nature of the Dutch ), towards the end of the 19 the of end the towards (sic), elites “liberalist”the against luyden) Kuyper,of Abraham diatribes the of defender people”the “little (kleine encompasses also and – later years 30 Fortuyn Pim by up taken attacks stretches through to the attacks against the “new regents” in the 1960s – Golden the of Regents),oligarchy the bourgeois as the (known Age and of symbols the brothers, Witt De the against revolt 1672 the to back goes tradition people”.This the “real of name the in elite ruling the of comply withthedemandsofaunifiedreadingpast. history,Dutch in constant to misapprehended censored largely possibly tury, with the Patriot Revolution, the late 19 late the Revolution, Patriot the tury,with the between parties”cen- “states the 18th and late party”, the “Orange 53. 52. exception”. the “Dutch of end the The other interpretation is, to put it more simply, that we are witnessing the Netherlands are shared by all its neighbours. Like other Western other Like neighbours. its all by shared are Netherlands the

and acloser focus on dismantling the drug trade, could well symbolise this normalisation. Change in the Netherlands’ permissive attitude towards drugs, with the closure of numerous coffee shops In hisbook De Nederlandse Revolutie , published in2005. The perspective, in any event, argues in favour of forgetting the old the forgetting of favour in argues event, any in perspective, The going today is society Dutch that said be could it basis, that On This is not the first time that the Dutch have questioned the legitimacy THE ENDOF THEDUTCH EXCEPTION? verzuiling (pillarisation) system. According 52 oaiain ol wl cnttt a constitute well could polarisation 53 All the challenges currently facing currently challenges the All th century, with the grand the century,with th

6, elnn spot o te vA n dfa o te D ad the and CDA the of defeat and PvdA the for support declining D66, and municipal the VVD for support 44%,stronger of abstention March record elections: 3 the of results the to point to need just would we coalition” withtheCDA. the “grand to solution alternative an finding of prospect the has it that now coalition, existing the with ranks PvdA’sbreak the to for decision reason underlying the be well could D66, and VVD the for support in bility of a violet-coalition outcome, which is backed up by the recent rise coalition” of an earlier period; with the VVD, PvdA and D66. The possi- centre-right coalition (CDA, VVD and D66) or the rebirth of the “violet a of return PVV;the the and CDA VVD,the the including component populist strong a with coalition rightwing a coalition: of types possible CDA,parties: PVV, PvdA, three basis,D66.are that and there On VVD opinion polls, which show the political landscape latest to be the comprised of of five light the in possible look scenarios Twoelection. general populist temptation? This could be the overriding question at the coming a verycivic-mindedcountry. been society,traditionally from has disengagement what and in politics of rejection of forms multiple into translating is dissatisfaction of core hard a – fading is exception Dutch the that implies too this and – all of public opinion: 47% of Dutch people are dissatisfied with politics. Most society, while others underscore the doubts harboured by a large slice of confident happy,and a supportive of picture the paint surveys opinion in responses numerous seen, have we As research. social for institute Dutch the – Plan Culturel en Sociaal the by conducted survey big last than its neighbours. This question is at the heart of the conclusion of the faster any questions these all to responses original find to Netherlands the allow will and exists still – compromises reach to capacity the and to public-opinion-baseddemocracy. elsewhere,and Netherlands democracy representative from trend the of the in backdrop, confused and agitated the against set is this all And identity.national the doubts over concerns populism, and of construction European rise about the mention to not Islam, over disputes to state welfare the on debate the from countries, European other in seen reactions to similar very is Netherlands the in changes these to reaction societies, Dutch society is beset by the major post-modern currents. The f hr ws n ne t hglgt h rinn pltcl confusion, political reigning the highlight to need any was there If conciliatory the win, will side Which desire the – identity national the whether is question ultimate The rdto o the or tradition poldermodel 35 The Netherlands: The Populist Temptation 36 fondapol | political innovation because ofitsnowresolutelysecularandindividualistcharacter. as roots country’sJudeo-Christian the to due much so not topic, hot a remains society Dutch into Islam integrate to how of question that that and – malaise political lasting the explaining – terms political in them started to achieve some of these compromises, but without consecrating charges asthepopulationages. and revenues between split equitable an ensure to order in generations resentative democracy and direct democracy, and, last of all, between the between national prerogatives and European construction, between rep- solidarity,and social liberty and individual tiative between found between integration and cultural diversity, between economic ini- be to need will Compromises years. coming the in issue fundamental a certainly averyopenfieldforthe9Junegeneralelection. is It Kant. leader,Agnes party’s that of resignation the to SP, leading 54. renounce their own culture (source: SNN). torequiredbelieve thatallochtoonsnot beshould does natives– amongevenimmensemajority the– learnandDutch; tovital doingenoughintegrateresidents toDutchnotis feel themselves”. it all Virtually and“natives”: substantiala minority even– among allochtoons tend– to believe that the “new Dutch are strongconvergencebetweenissue“allochtoons”a reach.this Thereopinion ofonis of out appearbe to Atthe same time, solutiona tothis problem and,more generally, topath tosuccessful integration notdo A look at the Netherlands early in 2010 suggests that the Dutch have of series compromises” a “new be of will definition event,the any In samenleven, 54 APPENDICES Chart 1 : change in Dutch GDP (as a %). (source : Directorate General for the Treasury and Economic Policy). 4 3 2 2 1,6 1 0 0 -1 -2 -3 -4,7 -4 -5 -6 2008 2009 2010 2011

Chart 2: change in the Dutch unemployment rate (as a %). (source: Directorate General for the Treasury and Economic Policy). 9 8 8 7 6 6 5,2 5 3,9 4 3 2 1 0 2008 2009 2010 2011

Chart 3: change in the Dutch inflation rate (as a %). (source: Directorate General for the Treasury and Economic Policy). 3 2,5 2,5

2

1,5 1,2 1 1 1

0,5

0 2008 2009 2010 2011

38 Chart 4: change in household consumption in the Netherlands (as a %). (source: Directorate General for the Treasury and Economic Policy). 3

2 1,3 1 0,6

0 -0,7 -1

-2 -2,7 -3

-4 2008 2009 2010 2011

Chart 5: change in investment in the Netherlands (as a %). (source: Directorate General for the Treasury and Economic Policy). 10 7

5

0

-5 -9,5 -10 -14 -15

-20 2008 2009 2010

39 Map 1: percentage of the Dutch population born outside the Netherlands in 1900. (source: De Bosatlas van Nederland, September 2007).

More than 10 %

Between 5 % and 10 %

Between 2 % and 5 %

Less than 2 %

40 Map 2: percentage of the Dutch population born outside the Netherlands in 2006. (source: De Bosatlas van Nederland, September 2007).

More than 10 %

Between 5 % and 10 %

Between 2 % and 5 %

Less than 2 %

41

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