BALKENENDE IS BACK, WHAT ABOUT THE POLDER MODEL?

Since the severe infection on his foot is almost cured The Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende finally left the hospital last Friday. After being absent for weeks the conflict between the government and the unions seriously escalated. The protest against the new pension plans resulted in a huge demonstration in Amsterdam and a national public transport strike. When Balkenende left the hospital he stated: ‘Looking at the disagreement in the Dutch society I have to say that we are not doing well. It is always better to solve a conflict with all parties involved. In the near future I will do my utmost to solve the problems.'

For the fist time in many years strikes and demonstrations are organised again I The Netherlands. The unions and the government are diametrically opposed to each other. The leaders of the unions and the involved Ministers are now in the angry phase and it is waiting for the moment that everything will turn over, or that everything will implode. The main question is: will the Dutch manage to sit around the table again and solve the problems through talking and negotiating.

Balkenende: ‘We are a culture that always tries to find solutions. The country that has the tradition of the deliberation economy and the ‘Polder model'. It alright to have differences of opinion, but in the end we all have to work together anyway. This means that the fairness of all parties is of great importance.' Balkenende indicated that there are possible concessions mentioned by the vice-Prime Minster Gerrit Zalm. But Zalm has a very bad relation with the unions and demonstrators. A while ago he stated that demonstrations would not have any use since the coalition has a majority in the Lower House. When a demnonstration would be organised he said he would wave to the demonstrators from a distance. Now there are also plans to lower the minimum wage so more people will be able to find a job. The unions are furious.

Till the end of October Prime Minister Balkenende will work form his house since his foot still needs time to cure. He is sure that he will be able to chair the European summit on the 17 th of December and that he will attend the signing of the European constitution on the 29 th of November in Rome . The upcoming days it will become clear if he also manages to fight the disunity in The Netherlands by getting all parties around the table again. Will the Dutch Polder model proof its value or will the tension rise even more, resulting in more strikes and demonstrations. The next strike on the list is organised by the general practitioners.

Some of the coalition parties are not in favour of solving the problems via the Polder model. They do not mind the tensions between the government and the unions and the people, as long as not too much damage is caused. The Minister of Social Affairs stated that the Minimum wages will not be lowered. It will be interesting to see how Balkenende will handle this, since the coalition parties want to persevere with what they have started: serious cuts through changing the pension system and lowering the minimum wage. Like an analyst stated in a newspaper: ‘Does the Blakenende Cabinet still has enough friends?' If not, it will be very difficult to sit around the table again. more features

October18, 2004