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INTRO ITC (2016-2017)

THE DUTCH STATE:

Territory, Society

and Government

THE NETHERLANDS: A STATE?

State = a conjunction of:

- a certain territory

- a (national) community

- under the rule of a political authority

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THE NETHERLANDS

A small state within Europe..

Currently small

• In terms of territory (41,824 km2; #131)

• In terms of population (16,748,205; #65)

• Not so small

– Economic wealth (IMF: GDP per capita; 12th)

– Exports (# 6 value of exports)

– Cheese production (# 5)

– OS Medals Table Rio de Janeiro: #11

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Spanish Habsburg Empire (1555/6)

United Provinces (1588-1795)

Dutch Republic’s Imperialism

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United Dutch Kingdom (1815-1830)

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1830: Belgian Secession

1890: Luxembourg

Secession

German occupation 1940-1945

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Kingdom Netherlands 2016

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Decolonisation

1949: Indonesia

1962: Papua New Guinea

1975: Suriname

European integrationLoss of sovereignty

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Part of EURO-zone

Societal aspects: religion

• Dutch revolt: Protestant revolt against Catholic Spain

• A protestant nation? Not in the past ….

• Not in the past …….. Not now

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1849

Red = protestant domination

Green = catholic domination

Tolerance and immigration

• Relatively tolerant towards

religious “minorities”

• Large groups of immigrants

from Southern Netherlands

(16/17th century): including

many Jews (Baruch Spinoza),

later from Hugenots (from

France) and elsewhere (e.g.

John Locke)

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Decolonisation and globalization

• New waves of immigration

– Colonies: Indonesia;

Surinam and Dutch

Antilles

– 1950s – 1960s: workers

from Italy, Spain and later

also form Turkey and

North Africa

– New waves of immigration

as consequence of

conflicts: former

Yugoslavia, Africa, and

most recently Syria 15

Limited tolerance and acceptance

• More than ever plural

society

• Limited support for

immigration and

tolerance

• Especially amongst

lower educated

population

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Political aspect: government

• Netherlands: Kingdom

– King Willem Alexander

– Ancestry:

William of Orange;

Father Dutch Revolt 1588

• Not always a monarchy

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Absolute monarchy (16-17th century)

The republican heritage

Polycentric system

• Loose confederacy of

seven provinces

(consisting of independent

cities/counties)

• At the state level

– States General

(representing provinces)

– Stadtholder: military power

(unitary)19

Introduction of monarchy (1815)

Limited powers of king:

1) Constitutionalization

2) Balance of power

(republican heritage)

3) Democratization

4) Respecting human

rights

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FUNCTIONAL BALANCE POWERS

Montesquieu

L’espirit des lois (1748)

Legislature

Power to make

and change laws

Executive

(King)

Power to put

law into action

Judiciary

Power to settle

disputes on

applying law

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LIMITED TASKS OF KING

Powers of the king reduced

Part of the executive:

Appoint ministers

Presents budget

Article 42: The King is inviolable;

the ministers are responsible.

Primacy of Representative Democracy

Executives need majority support of parliaments

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TERRITORIAL BALANCE POWERS

Netherlands member of the EU: important competences

delegated to the EU

Territorial decentralisation

12 Provinces; 390 Municipalities; 25 Water boards; etc.

Subsidiarity: powers as low as possible and only as

high as necessary

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DEMOCRATIZATION

Members of parliament / councils: directly elected by adult population of 18 years and older (universal voting rights)

These legislatures central in democracy at all levels of governance

Supplemented by Participative Democracy

Consultation /Co-decision Referendums

Political equality: voting and participation

HUMAN RIGHTSGovernment shall respect a free private sphere

Markets … freedom private enterprise

Civil Society.. voluntary civic organizations

Government shall respect personal freedom

Separation of State & Religion! Religion = Private

Life-style and sexual preferences:

Also = Private

Freedom of expression:

Satire: OK; but not calling for violence

Judge decides; not government

Legal equality: same human rights for all

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SOCIAL RIGHTS

Fundamental Social rights:

Task of government

- employment; social security

- clean environment; housing;

- health care; education…

Social equality: equality of life-chances

Welcome in

• Turbulent history:

many territorial changes

• A plural society:

– Religion

– Immigration

– Tolerance and respect

• Political authority

– Divided across levels

– Limited by constitution

– Equality of rights for all