DAR AL HARB - NETHERLANDS: 8 THREATS TO DEMOCRACY IN THE NETHERLANDS...YES, THE ARTICLE IS A BIT OLD BUT STILL PERTINENT TODAY

Eight Threats To Democracy In Netherlands

THE HAGUE, 17/10/06 - Democracy in the Netherlands has eight "untamed problems." Immigrants do not feel Dutch, freedom of speech is under pressure, the links between the media and politicians are too close, and confidence in politicians is low, according to the report 'The State of Our Democracy.'

The report was presented yesterday to the Lower House by Administrative Renewal Minister Atzo NicolaÔ and Home Affairs Minister Johan Remkes. They want a debate on the quality of the democracy on the basis of the report. It was commissioned by the ministers and drawn up according to the guidelines of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

"The research shows that things are in general not gloomy regarding democracy in the Netherlands," according to Nicolai en Remkes. But based on the report, they name "eight important points for attention, which as untamed problems determine the future agenda for policy aimed at strengthening the democratic constitutional state."

The first problem is "the social cohesion and integration of 'new' Dutch citizens." At the basis of a democratic state stands a communal identity, "while in the Netherlands only a small portion of the citizens of immigrant origin indicate they feel Dutch." At the same time, "the seriousness and the number of incidents involving an attempt to restrict free speech by (threats of) violence appear to have increased."

Additionally, "in recent years, there appears to be declining confidence among citizens in politicians. The big political parties in particular are losing their roots in society." This may be due to "drama democracy and policy accumulation," which is named as a separate problem.
"Incidents politics, in combination with a strongly mutual dependence between politics and the media, can reinforce the risk of a pile-up of policy. (...) In the Netherlands, there is moreover a very large number of administrators and MPs who want to profile themselves on the same subjects. This is experienced as a too great administrative pressure."

Political decision-making also increasingly takes place outside parliament or municipality and increasingly by "independent administrative bodies, public servants and informal connections, which are not susceptible to democratic control. In many new administrative forms, the accepted model of our representative democracy has little grip." Finally, "Dutch politicians concern themselves too little with the preparation of European policy."

Although the ministers "want to enter into the debate on these points," they immediately said yesterday they were not in complete agreement with the report. "The ministers question whether the state of affairs has been adequately described in the report and whether the points for attention named do also indeed deserve attention."

The ministers stress that "the quality of our democracy is also highly rated on international ranking orders. This stems according to the report from its independent jurisprudence, turnout at parliamentary elections, the political self-confidence and political interest of the population, the support for the parliamentary system, the integrity of public administration, press freedom, active participation of the population in community life and a strongly developed decentral administration.


Pertinent Links:

1) Eight Threats To Democracy In Netherlands