{"id":81979,"date":"2017-12-07T12:38:54","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T11:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=81979"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:54","slug":"politici-durven-de-macht-niet-uit-handen-te-geven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2017\/12\/07\/politici-durven-de-macht-niet-uit-handen-te-geven\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Politicians simply haven\u2019t got the guts to delegate power\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBas van der Schot<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cIn practice, the participation society is a whole lot less self-evident than I\u2019d like to see,\u201d says Nico Haasbroek, a participating journalist reporting on his attempts to improve the Rotterdam city district of Middelland under the name of \u2018De Middellandman<\/a>\u2019. \u201cThe main reason for this is that reactionary politicians simply haven\u2019t got the guts to delegate power, even if they wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n

This comment is in response to Public Administration specialist William Voorberg, who said in EM earlier this week that governments have no idea what they\u2019re doing<\/a> since King Willem-Alexander announced the participation society in his Speech from the Throne in 2013. The government has been investing in co-creation without even drawing up any long-term strategy, let alone making it clear what specific improvements this will make in the living environment.<\/p>\n

Haasbroek\u2019s main criticism is that the majority of citizens\u2019 initiatives are thought up by and for a socio-cultural elite. And this means they aren\u2019t contributing to the inclusive society we were promised. On the contrary, they\u2019re actually functioning as an exclusion mechanism which in turn encourages inequality.<\/p>\n

\u2018Self-sufficient community\u2019<\/h3>\n\t
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\n\t\t\u2018There are a whole lot of Rotterdam citizens taking initiatives, not just a handful of people seeking collaboration or applying for subsidies\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnne Boomsluiter\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Staff at the Municipality of Rotterdam disagree with this criticism. As Municipal Participation Advisor, Anne Boomsluiter informed us that \u2018all our organisational units\u2019 have put collaboration with Rotterdam\u2019s citizens high up on the agenda. \u201cWe welcome personal initiatives and we\u2019re assuming this will result in a city with a self-sufficient community,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

No, this \u2018self-sufficient community\u2019 isn\u2019t reserved for an elite comprising creative GroenLinks voters. \u201cThere are a whole lot of Rotterdam citizens taking initiatives, not just a handful of people seeking collaboration or applying for subsidies,\u201d Ms Boomsluiter told us. \u201cWalk down any street in the city and ask people what we\u2019re doing for their neighbourhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Against all odds <\/h3>

\u201cThere\u2019s a very real danger of exclusion,\u201d says Marieke Hillen, who set up projects like Singeldingen<\/a> and Het Wijkpaleis<\/a> to fill the gap left when welfare organisations and community centres had to close down about 10 years ago due to lack of government aid. Ms Hillen is the embodiment of the participation society. But, she warns, you have to speak and act in a certain way in order to be able to join the civil-service circus. And you have to have the time and energy to fight for what you want \u2013 sometimes against all odds.<\/p>\n

But, she hastens to say, elderly Surinamese ladies and trendy young hipsters are equally welcome at Het Wijkpaleis. \u201cThis type of initiative has really brought it home to people how important it is to open your doors to everyone,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it means a lot of hard work all the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dragging their feet<\/h3>

With respect to the municipality\u2019s role, Haasbroek and Hillen both agree with William Voorberg\u2019s statement that the government hasn\u2019t got any clear idea of its actual goals for participation. Haasbroek said that civil servants are scared because it might just turn out that participating citizens can do the municipality\u2019s work every bit as well as they can (if not better!) if you trust them and give them the freedom to do so.<\/p>\n

Hillen added that civil servants are \u2018dragging their feet\u2019: politicians might make a song and dance about participation and co-creation, but municipal services staff are actually the ones who have to give active citizens enough scope. But some of them don\u2019t approve of all this \u2018power sharing\u2019, as she calls it. \u201cMost civil servants are tremendously enthusiastic, but I still comes across some who dig their heels in, or worse, who deliberately and maliciously sabotage<\/a> the scheme.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloody elite!<\/h3>\n\t
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\n\t\t\u2018Sometimes we just have to put on an imaginary Teflon suit and let it all slide off\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarieke Hillen\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

All right then, let\u2019s give the alderman a call. This is Joost Eerdmans, who introduced Right to Challenge<\/a> in support of democratic innovation. We asked whether he could identify with the above description, and what he thought of the conclusion that \u2018ordinary Rotterdammers\u2019 are losing out in the participation circus, again because of that bloody elite?<\/p>\n

According to his spokesperson Claudia Verhulp, Alderman Eerdmans didn\u2019t have time to answer our questions personally. Nor could she tell us whether the present Municipal Executive has actually attained its goals, including those on citizens\u2019 participation. \u201cIf we did that, we\u2019d be anticipating the evaluation, which won\u2019t be held until the end of the Executive\u2019s term in office,\u201d she told us.<\/p>\n

So we\u2019ll just have to wait till the municipal elections in March 2018. In the meantime, concerned citizens like Hillen and Haasbroek will carry on determinedly with projects that look like they will be a success \u2013 in spite of the government rather than thanks to any efforts on its part! \u201cSometimes we just have to put on an imaginary Teflon suit and let it all slide off,\u201d as Hillen says. Haasbroek adds: \u201cThe municipal elections will be coming up very soon, so we\u2019ll be battling for a real participation society till we drop by the wayside. Won\u2019t you join us?\u201d<\/p>\n

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