The debate on Gaza filters through to local politics in the Netherlands
image: Mayukh Karmakar on Unsplash
Social discontent is growing on the stance of the Dutch government in relation to Israel with debates now being held in the chambers of local councils. Geerten Boogaard comments in NRC newspaper on the development of this ‘outlet’ for discontent.
Several municipalities are emphatically opposed to the government's policy and feel compelled to break the convention of refraining from speaking out on international issues. So, it would seem that local politics is not an island. It can also reflect national and international tensions.
Geerten Boogaard, Professor of Local Government, says in NRC newspaper that 'it is quite common for deviations to occur at the local level from the line set by The Hague.' The professor would think it odd if that did not happen. It would imply that municipalities do not constitute a fully-fledged democracy and would not be sufficiently decentralised to form their own opinion. Increasingly, council members seem convinced that silence is no longer an option: ‘Municipalities distil issues that are present in society and then respond accordingly.'
Meer weten?
Read the full article in NRC (in Dutch)