Tjeenk Willink can be very enthusiastic about the ease with which the government points the finger at other authorities when something goes wrong. Trust in democracy and government is at stake, he believes, and especially the weakest in society risk becoming its victims. Such an analysis is not new and has been widely discussed, but much to Tjeenk Willink’s regret, it has not been possible for forty years to discuss such analyzes with politicians.
“If you put all the interested parties together to buy it and you call that policy, then that’s a bad interpretation of that policy”
Agency
The biggest threat to accountable government is an overly commercial approach by that government, says Tjeenk Willink: If economic prosperity through the private sector is the most important benchmark for successful policy, you ignore what the benchmark should be. effective in a democratic constitutional state: democracy and law. “Efficiency and effectiveness are also important, but they don’t distinguish government from other organizations.”
Democratic legitimacy and public accountability, legal equality and legal certainty: these are the values that really make the difference between an authoritarian regime and a democratic legal system. And we must return to this. But as Einstein said, you can’t solve a problem with the mindset that created it.’
Define the problems
That’s why you need substantial skills. Knowledge that nowadays too often is acquired through all kinds of consultants. And this is where it goes wrong, according to Tjeenk Willink: To assume knowledge, you have to be able to define the problem. Economic interests are increasing in the current functioning of government. ‘In this sense, the government has become a model of income.’
There’s not much wrong with that in itself. But doing so runs the risk of losing control over the changes. “You see what’s happening now with regards to the farm deal. If you bring all the interested parties together to buy them and you call that policy, then that’s a bad interpretation of that policy.” So, as Tjeenk Willink describes it, you’re busy doing more of the same, while that’s precisely the problem.
Confidence in one’s own competence
To intervene, you must have an excellent understanding of how the field works and you must have the substantial experience to advise you on this. If that is missing, it will be a great loss, believes Tjeenk Willink. ‘You have to trust your experience as a government again. The current general administrative service, where everyone is more of a process manager and there is more or less a penalty for acquiring skills, has more disadvantages than advantages.’
Listen again | Coalition of the Willinks?
According to Tjeenk Willink, outsourcing public responsibilities is not an option. As a government you remain accountable, even if you have handed over the implementation to others. “Actually, we have to go back to the question: how was the system originally conceived and what is the meaning of fundamental social rights? But the House of Representatives would rather not look at its own performance.’
Take a look at yourself
Tjeenk Willink sees important bright spots, for example in the judiciary. Because where politicians fail to take a rigorous look at themselves, the judiciary has done so emphatically. ‘He looked at himself very carefully and said: what went wrong and what can we do differently? Only the House of Representatives hasn’t done it yet and will do so only if other organs carry out their duties with security and fairness’.
An interesting option to get back on track is the return to social initiatives. Not so much to an oppressive civil society as we knew it, but to the knowledge and experience of energy cooperatives and forms of housing, with knowledge that you as a government can use. ‘Over the past forty years, the government has not invested in contacts with those social initiatives.’