Originally published on Brigitte.de — https://web.archive.org/web/20051122190634/http://blog.brigitte.de/holland/
The Dutch love to complain and are quite aware of it. But the Germans also love to complain quite a bit. Especially when it comes to politics, a common thread emerges.
In Germany, people complained, they voted, they’re still complaining now—because, of course, nothing has been decided yet, even though everyone “won”—and they’ll probably keep complaining next year, too. Reforms or no reforms.
In the Netherlands, it’s actually pretty much the same. With the complaining. Here’s an example:
Tomorrow is “Prinsjesdag” in The Hague. Here’s how it goes: A golden carriage pulls up in front of the government building; a queen steps out of it (“What will she be wearing today?”), takes a seat in a large armchair in a grand hall, reads a long budget statement, and at the end is greeted with shouts of “Lang leve de Koningin!” She’s allowed to stand up again, wave cheerfully, and climb back into the beautiful, kitschy carriage.
Afterward, the politicians who wrote the budget statement take the heat. Bea (or Trix—both nicknames may be used publicly) doesn’t actually write it herself. So even before the annual budget announcement, people are already complaining (because most newsrooms always have it on their desks beforehand), during it as well (“They look nice again. Couldn’t she have worn a different hat today? Seriously, with all her money, she really needs to act like that…”) and afterward anyway (“It’s going to be another crappy year for the average Joe”).
The Netherlands has long since undergone major reforms, so nothing really blows people away anymore. Or so you’d think. Far from it! Last year, there were cuts, cuts, cuts. A month after “Prinsjesdag” (always the third Tuesday in September), people took to the streets to protest. The government had to cut spending. But many Dutch people didn’t have anything left to save anyway.
This year, the news is more positive: the government has a surplus. And that surplus is being invested—in healthcare, in daycare centers, and in schools and universities. And purchasing power is set to rise next year. That’s worth at least 2.5 billion euros to the government for now (plus 2.5 billion from gas revenues, for those who want the exact figures).
But will things finally get better? Just like in Germany, skepticism is the order of the day in the Netherlands for now. We’ll just have to wait and see. Energy prices are rising, healthcare costs are rising, and gas prices have already gone up and are continuing to rise.
And when you come back from your Saturday afternoon shopping trip with bags full of groceries, you can always keep complaining. Hopefully someone will still remember the empty savings jar.
Amid all the whining, I’m guessing that the Queen, in her beautiful carriage, is secretly joining in. “Hey, the finance minister hasn’t transferred my pension on time again!”
Ulrike Nagel: Monday, September 19, 2005, 11:18 p.m. | Permalink
