Netherlands Politics and Relationship Politicians and Bureacracy Country Presentation

8/3/2019 Netherlands Politics and Relationship Politicians and Bureacracy Country Presentation

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Country PresentationNetherlands*

Researched, written and presentedby

Drs. Bastiaan van de Loo

*All quotes have freely been translated by the presenter



1. Background on Netherlands Political system

2. Dutch Type of Political Executives

3. Dutch bureaucracy

4. Who is in charge?

5. Role and impact of civil society in Poldermodel

(public participation)

6. Description of model Netherlands fits in

8. Key strengths and weaknesses of Holland

9. Solution



1. Background on Netherlands

Political system

Constitutional Monarchy

Central government: First Chamber

(controlling function, indirectly elected) andSecond Chamber (law makers, directly elected

for 4 years).

Representative democracy also know as

consensus democracy



Coalition government

Electionsnegotationsgovernance-agreementformation cabinetduration max 4 years

Political Spectrum

Socialist Social

Democrats

Anti-

Islam

Party

Green

Left

Liberal-

conservatives

Progressive

liberals

Christian

Democrats

Left Right



Stability vs instability under

coalition government

1982-1994: Stability

1994-2002 :Reform Stability

2002-2010: Stagnation Instability

2010-.?: Unstable Reform/failed military mission

in Libya



2. Dutch Type of Political ExecutivesAcademi

c Degree

Relevant

workbackgro

und to

ministry

Managem

entexperienc

e

Other

worksexperien

ce than

governm

ent

Specialist

orGeneralis

t

Minister of the Interior and

Kingdom Relations

Piet Hein

Donner

Y Y Y N Generali

st

Minister of Security and Justice Ivo

Opstelten

Y Y Y N Specialis

t

Deputy Prime Minister,

Minister of Economic Affairs,

Agriculture and Innovation

Maxime

Verhagen

Y N Y N Generali

st

Minister of Defence Hans

Hillen

Y N Y Y Generali

st

Minister of Foreign Affairs Uri

Rosenthal

PhD N N Y Specialis

t but on

Interioraffairs



Academic

Degree

Relevant

work

backgro

und to

ministry

Managem

ent

experienc

e

Other

works

experie

nce

thangovern

ment

Specialist

or

Generalist

Minister for Immigration

and Asylum Policy

Gerd Leers Y Y Y Y Generalist

Minister for Education,

Culture and Science

Marja van

Bijsterveldt-

Vliegenthart

N (nurse) Y Y Y Generalist

Minister of Finance Jan Kees de

Jager

Y Y Y Y Specialist

Minister of Infrastructure

and the Environment

Melanie

Schultz van

Haegen-Maas

Geesteranus

Y Y Y Y Generalist

Prime Minister, Minister

of General Affairs

Mark Rutte Y Y Y Y Generalist



Academi

c Degree

Relevant

work

backgro

und to

ministry

Managem

ent

experienc

e

Other

works

experien

ce than

government

Specialist

or

Generalis

t

Minister of Social Affairs

and Employment

Henk Kamp N Y Y Y Generali

st

Minister of Health,

Welfare and Sport

Edith Schippers Y Y Y Y Generali

stMinister for European

Affairs and International

Cooperation

Ben Knapen Y (PhD) Y Y Y Generali

st

Minister for Agriculture

and Foreign TradeState Secretary for

Finance

Henk Bleker

Frans Weekers

Y (PhD) Y Y Y Generali

st



4 4

9

23

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Previous

minister

Previous

Assistant

Minister.

Previous 2nd

Chamber

Representative

1st Chamber Previous

Mayor/city

councilor



Most of ministers have no experience withcontrolling such a big complex organization. That revenges itself. A ministerial handbook on how to

deal with civil servants would help.former Minister Ritzen

Those politicians have frequently no intelligence of

the area on which they will work. I remember that the VVD'er Frank the Grave became Head of theDutch Care Authority. He didnt know jack shit of it. Now you see it with Hans Hillen, who became

Minister of Defence. Hes a highschool teacher insociety studiesProf. Nico Baakman



2. Dutch Type of Political Executives:

Summary

Technical expertise: Limited

Government form: Coalition cabinet: Far-reaching Ministerial responsibility

Role of Independent Advisors: Increasing

Politician, policy maker and departmentmanager: Coalition cabinet, selection criteria

political experience and party loyalty Openness of government: will be discussed

later



3. Dutch bureaucracy

Central Government 124,000Province 13,000

Municipalities 177,000

Waterboard 10,000Education and sciences 512,000

Defence 69,000

Police force 65,000Judiciary 4,000



3. Representative bureaucracy?

Central Publicadministration

Highestranking

bureacrats

2e Kamer(Parliament)

1e Kamer(Senate)

GeneralPopulation

Men 57.50% 80.5% 59% 71% 49.50%

Women 42.50% 19.5% 41% 29% 50.50%

Non-

western

Dutch

citizen

8.40% 1.3%* 11% 4% 11%



3. What do they do?

W hat do they do at central government

Execution: 78%

Policy: 9% Support: 7%

Supervision: 6%



3. Recruitment of highest ranking

bureaucrats

Algemene Bestuursdienst

Recruited by

Algemene

Bestuursdienst



Ideal kind of Dutch public servant?

" I have no W eberiaan conception of the

role of civil servant. You can choose to be

and your apply influence only internally

as a grey mouse. That is most safe. But I find that a civil servant must step also to

outside. He must play a role in the public

debate.statement by Secretaris-Generaal Sweder

van Wijnbergen after he was forced to

resign (27sept 1999)



Ideal kind of public servant? The

Dutch perspective

The businesslike public servant vs the Yes-Minister

Narrow view on NPM not applicable forNetherlands:

Public Servant as results-oriented who is policy

entrepreneur and thus has high level of iniative,unconventionel and customer-oriented. A Publicservant as reflective practitioner who is mediatorbetween different rationalities (politics, legal and

realistic)



Training: mixture of generalist and functional

specialist.

Career : Little mobility between DepartmentsSpecialized bureaucratic organization: not

present

Recruitment: Decentralized except high rankingofficials who have far-reaching decision

making power

3. Overview Bureaucracy



4. Role and impact of civil society in Poldermodel

Dutch political system also referred to use the Poldermodela corporatist

approach to economic and environmental planningMain political players:

Employer organization vs labor unions

nature and environmental organizations vs mobility organizations andEmployer organization

Agricultural association vs nature and environmental organizations

Other players:NGOs: health sector, development organizations, student union, consumerunion, organization for house owner

Hybrid players but very powerful:Former government agencies now corporatized: Health Insurance providers,

Housing agencies (mostly led by former political executives or topbureacrats

International CSOs:

Absent

Role Media:

changing as result of polarization, populism and waan van de dag




52% of previous members of 2nd Chamber were of opinion that bureaucrats had too much influence ondecision-making process of cabinet and parliament

Public servants are making politics in media

Only 16% of bureaucrats is of opinion that 'politicalmotivated plans are executable. They feel politicalleaders (ministers) are trying to do window dressing

and short-time thinking. As such one can see aweakening of the ministerial influence.



4. Influence of civil society?

Important role of SER, Studygroup Budge space(SBR)

Civil society ensured of having a prominent seat at

the negotiation table:Why?

1. Expertise

2. Power to block/delay3. Implementers (environment, social partners)

4. Culture of consensus/coaltion




Paradox of Ministerial Responsibility

Previous conflicts:

Minister Sorgdrager vs head of Public prosection andother public servants--

Minister Jorritsma vs Van Wijnbergen (Secretaris-generaal who got job under Jorritismas predecessor)

Recent case: Senior Dutch bureaucrat advised US

government on to coerce and how to coerce a DutchMinister to stop his opposition towards a new militarymission to Afghanistan




Politiek primaat Minister Responsible but

doesnt leave, bureacrat not responsible butmust leave (transferred)

Conclusion:-when push comes to shove politicalexecutive always wins in the short run



Our democracy is bullshit Prof. Hans Daudt

In the Netherlands we have an absolute oligarchy that has nothing to do with democracy

Prof. Frissen

Politics in Holland is walking a dead-end lane... The political party is nothing but a network of people who

know and support each other.

Prof.Tromp

Who is in charge?Some observations from some Dutch Political

Scientists



6. Description of model Netherlands

fits in

Administrative functional State life:

Bureaucrats have a lot of influence in policy

making and implementation.

Political Executives wearing two-hats gives

bureaucrat to also wear different hats: Expert,

Negotiator and connector with society.

But final responsibility with political leaders

recent trendreemphasis on political primaat



CHARACTERISTICS OF POLITICO-ADMINISTRATIVEINTERACTIONS in the Netherlands

Tone Winners Conflict

Resolution

Style Impacts

Functional

administrative

village life state

Integrative Variable Bargaining Expertise Interest

dominate

d stability



Failure of NPM

Focus on short-term result and efforts to

reestablish primaat of politiek has led to:

- Weakening of ministerial and department

influence over implementation

- (Re-)Emergence Institutionalism distrustbetween political executives and bureaucrats



8. Key strengths and weaknesses of

Dutch System

Weaknesses

Politics is hindering progress

High-turn over due to political instability political

executives increases reliance on bureaucrats

Low level of specialization makes political executivesmore prone to being steered by bureaucrats

Politicians dont dare to make real decisions (doormodderen) but dare to make symbolic decisions

Politiek primaat: locks the experienced and skillfulbureacracy in a contract without having its say

Top bureaucracy heavily politicized



8. Key strengths and weaknesses of

Dutch System

Strengths

Consensus, involving all stakeholders, bureaucrats arenot extrovert political animals

Bureaucrats acting as additional checks and balanceagainst waan van de dag

Highly professional bureaucracy

Continuous flow of new blood in bureaucracy Maatschappelijk middenveld/civil society is vibrant

Elections continue to live and polarization leads todialogue and focus on accountability and

transparency



9. Solution

Need for solution?

No

PVV emerges as one of biggest party Peopleare taking care of it

Polarization of country and media leads to

increased debates, transparency and

accountability

Bureaucracy is becoming more politically diverse



9. SolutionNeed for solution?

YesFear of a second Belgium Scenario, political stalemate and

waan van de dag make country un-steerable andneeds to be stopped

How: Political parties should indicate who they propose to be

their minister for what department prior to election

Strengthen offices of members of Second Chamber to

increase oversight on bureaucracy Change collective labor agreement for civil servants to

ensure their labor rights are at same level as othersectors (less privileges)

Strenghten



Sources used

http://www.inoverheid.nl/artikel/artikelen/1172711/hoeveel-ambtenaren-telt-ons-land.html


http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/fin/organisatie/organogram

http://www.inoverheid.nl/artikel/artikelen/1878131/gezocht-ambtenaar-met-politieke-voelsprieten.html

http://www.inoverheid.nl/artikel/nieuws/2178313/ambtenaren-plannen-van-politici-zijn-onuitvoerbaar.html

The Polder Model in Dutch Economic and Environmental Planning, Yda Schreuder. Bulletin of Science TechnologySociety August 2001 vol. 21 no. 4 237-245

http://retro.nrc.nl/W2/Lab/Profiel/Netherlands/politics.html

http://hsr-trans.zhsf.uni-koeln.de/hsrretro/docs/artikel/hsr/hsr1995_371.pdf

http://www.inoverheid.nl/artikel/nieuws/2178367/verhagen-zet-ambtenaren-in-voor-cdacampagne.html

http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2010/10/dutch_politics


http://www.ser.nl/en/publications/speeches%20chairman/2009/20090117.aspx

http://retro.nrc.nl/W2/Lab/Profiel/Netherlands/politics.html

http://www.economist.com/node/1098195?story_id=1098195

http://www.uni-

muenster.de/imperia/md/content/hausderniederlande/zentrum/projekte/schulprojekt/lernen/schule_nl/40_10.pdf

http://www.kabinetsformatie2010.nl/Actueel/Pers_en_nieuwsberichten/2003/februari/Informateurs_ontvangen_sociale_partners

http://laglux.blogspot.com/2009/05/polder-model.html



7



5. Clear distinction politics and

bureaucracy?

Politics as opportunity to enrich oneself? OneSenator has 14 additional functions withorganizations including one with an

organization where she as Director hiresherself for 840 euro per day.

Lose of seat in parliamentwachtgeldMayor

Lose of cabinet function: private sector, Mayorof large city or position with internationalorganization is waiting

Documents

Netherlands Politics and Relationship Politicians and Bureacracy Country Presentation