Minister Bruins Slot explains why Van Grootheest was the first to receive the manual. “He is one of the people who himself was involved in creating the manual.” According to Bruins Slot, it’s important to talk to councilors, mayors and aldermen to see what the organization needs.’ Van Grootheest is also active with integrity within his own municipality. It’s not just about making and following rules, it’s also about how we talk about integrity on a daily basis.
“This handbook should provide an overview so that people can understand what is good and what is not”
According to the minister, it is important that all the rules are in one place, but ‘rules are nothing until you put them into practice’. The essence of the handbook is to raise awareness of integrity. According to Bruins Slot, political figures are engaged in society and trying to do the right thing. ‘Even in these cases, people can be faced with questions. This handbook should provide an overview so that people can better understand what is good and what is not.’
Corruption concerns
Director General Arthur van Baaren of the National Investigation Department is concerned about the increase in criminals bribing officials to obtain sensitive information. Bruins Slot shares this concern: ‘When it comes to the vulnerability of organizations to undermining and other corrupt activities, vigilance is very important. Government organizations can be attractive to criminals because they have a lot of information.’
The Netherlands consistently scores high on international lists when it comes to integrity. Continuing to fight corruption in public administration is essential for trust in democracy. This is why I’m first out of twenty have brought together in a memorandum all the rules of integrity of the past period. Governments can now better examine what rules and actions are needed to enhance integrity.’
Trust in politics has never been lower
According to Statistics Netherlands, confidence in Dutch politics has never been lower in 10 years. The trust figure has dropped to no less than 25% this year, which is why, according to Bruins Slot, a good integrity policy is needed to regain trust in politics. ‘It’s also about saying what you do as a politician and doing what you say. Politicians must demonstrate that they can achieve results. This way they can demonstrate that the government is there for the people and that they are being listened to.’