The Dutch style of government: good for dykes, bad for covid
The Netherlands’ consensual “polder model” moves too slowly in a crisis
THE DUTCH are not used to being ranked among the worst in Europe. But that is where they stand in covid booster vaccinations: 4.1% of the population have had an extra jab, just behind Romania at 5%. They started on November 18th, months after other countries. “It is impossible to explain,” says Roel Coutinho, a former head of the national outbreak-management team. He blames the Dutch culture of governing via exhaustive negotiations and consensus—a system known as the “polder model”.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Poldering on”
From the December 11th 2021 edition
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