Long-running austerity policy to hollow out Dutch civil foundations

In the Netherlands, every economic downturn is followed by associated austerity methods. The Dutch “cheese planing method” is a common tactic used to maintain the integrity of the state apparatus as a whole, by reducing funding in all sectors. But a decade of economic stagnation has lead to its destructive effects similarly appearing in all sectors.

Public transport strikes in the largest cities, due to unprecedented pressure on the shrinking number of railway attendants. Thousands of migrants being fumbled about between poorly-equipped processing centers, with many hundreds forced to sleep outside. The prison system lacking hundreds of millions, with the resulting cost-saving proposals being poorly thought through and risking the content and credibility of the doled out punishments. On all sides, deterioration is starting to penetrate the surface.

With the political establishment stagnating after the economy, the division of ruling party leadership and their constituents’ is rapidly becoming untenable. The existing dissatisfied minority is increasing both in size and resolve, with the moderate majority becoming increasingly silent. The inflexibility of the current coalition remains also their only source of public trust and authority. But with the current fluid international situation, this stiff predisposition is likely to prove itself to also be a brittle one.

https://www.fnv.nl/nieuwsbericht/sectornieuws/vervoer/2022/08/stakingsoproep-gezamenlijke-vakbonden-bij-ns https://www.fnv.nl/nieuwsbericht/sectornieuws/fnv-overheid/2022/08/200-miljoen-minder-voor-dji https://nos.nl/collectie/13898/artikel/2442281-250-mensen-gedwongen-tot-buiten-slapen-voor-azc-ter-apel

Communication from Deyko.

来自Deyko的通讯。