Do civil servants in The Hague feel free to make recommendations to the House?
Recently, Prime Minister Dirk Schoof caused quite the stir in the political arena of The Hague following the release of policy documents on the asylum debate. This came ahead of a decision that had not yet been made. The question has since arisen as to whether it’s still possible for civil servants to advise their ministers critically and independently if documents are published so quickly. Geerten Boogaard, Professor of Local Government, discusses this in Dutch newspaper NRC.
However, the opposition believes that by incorporating the ‘asylum crisis’ in the Dutch coalition programme, the decision had already been taken. Minister of Asylum and Migration Marjolein Faber has also previously admitted this. For that reason, the opposition believes that the cabinet should fulfil its duty to inform government ministers. Surprisingly, Nieuw Sociaal Contract (NSC) politician Nicolien Van Vroonhoven endorses the opposition’s view. She merely uttered the words ‘Artikel 68 van de Grondwet’ [meaning: ‘Article 68 of the Constitution’] at the interruption microphone, reports NRC.
Since the incident, Professor Boogaard has spoken to many civil servants in The Hague. He says, ‘They feel quite embarrassed and from now on, they’ll think twice about the things they do and don’t write.’ While Professor Boogaard feels this is ‘a wise strategy’, he is unsure how long the Prime Minister will be able to maintain it. It would be nice if Van Vroonhoven quickly demonstrates that the NSC still holds this view in the future.
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Read the full NRC article (in Dutch)
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