Dutch politics

Holland can has Iraq inquiry — but not yet

Dutch politics, War on Iraq
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Yesterday was the big parliamentary debate about whether or not there would be an inquiry into the Iraq War. Over the weekend Balkenende had proposed to let an independent commission take a look at Dutch participation in the war, while the opposition wanted a proper parliamentary inquiry. But because the governmental parties had a majority in government and even though many of the social democrats did want a proper inquiry, the result was one of those typically Dutch compromises. Balkenende dropped his resistance, but only if parliament would agree to his ideas about an independent commission first. The upshot is that a proper inquiry has been kidked into the long grass, as the commission will have six months to research all questions about Dutch involvement in Iraq. What’s more, during this time the government will also refuse to answer any new questions about Iraq, in order to “give the commission room to work”.

In all, Balkenende has done well. He”s bend to the will of parliament and defused what could’ve become a government crisis without actually having to compromise. The danger is that with this long delay the inquiry will disappear of parliament’s radar and hence never happen, which he won’t mind much…

Holland can has Iraq inquiry?

Dutch politics, War on Iraq
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coverup

This past month the Dutch participation in the War on Iraq has been put back in the spotlight. Ever since we got involved there has always been a feeling we haven’t so much been lied into the war, as muddled into it, with the then government at first only offering political support for the war, whatever that means, but afterwards providing several thousand troops for the occupation. The leftwing parties, led by the Dutch Socialist Party ever since have pressed for a proper parliamentary inquiry into why and how Holland got into the war, but successive governments have always held the boat off –not surprising since Balkenende led each one of them…

Last month however it was revealed that top legal advisers to the Foreign Ministry had doubts about the legality of the war and that contrary to what it said at the time and since, the then government was planning to take active part in the war. This slow drumbeat of revelations upped the pressure on the government to give in to the demands of the opposition for a parliamentary inquiry, especially since there already was a majority in the Eerste Kamer (Dutch equivalent to the Senate or House of Lords) for one. However the coalition agreements the governmental parties entered into at the start of their government explicitely ruled out such an inquiry, while Balkenende himself was always adamantly opposed.

So it came as a bit of a surprise yesterday to see Balkenende announcing an inquiry into the War on Iraq, especially since it was timed for a normally very quiet newsday. The reasons for that became clear very quickly. What Balkenende announced was not a proper inquiry, but just another try at punting the ball into the long grass. Instead of an inquiry led by parliament, Balkenende wants an “independent” commission which will take the questions asked in parliament about the war and report back to parliament about them when their investigation is finished. It’s clear that Balkenende hopes to confront parliament with a fait accompli by removing control of the inquiry from parliament this way. The opposition is of course less than impressed with this and is still pushing for a proper investigation. Debate on this will happen tomorrow, so we’ll have to wait and see who’ll win.

Dutch government did want to help invade Iraq

Dutch politics, War on Iraq
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After last weeks revelations about the covered up legal advice not to participate in the occupation of Iraq, comes new evidence that the then government also wanted to participate in the actual war. Dutch broadcaster RTL, has gotten hold of several primary documents which made clear that the ministry of defence had already started preparations for Dutch participation while the government was busy laying the groundwork for a vote in parliament. This while Balkenende, then leading his first government, has always insisted military support for the invasion had never been considered.

All of which only strengthens the cause for a parliamentary inquiry, as so much still remains unclear about what the government knew and did not know about the War on Iraq. This, the question whether or not the Dutch participation in the occupation was legal, whether or not the government realised the weapons of mass destruction didn’t exist…

In a roundabout way it also shows that the protests against the war were not completely futile. The documents also revealed that while the government was considering military participation, the protest and widespread opposition amongst the Dutch against the war ultimately dissuaded them from it. Granted, it wasn’t a complete succes for the anti-war movement, as we still helped with the occupation, but it does show that protest can work.

Fewer Brits in Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Dutch politics, economic crisis
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With some two to three million unemployed already in the UK there were always going to be fewer people taking their stagnight to Amsterdam, but the ongoing war on fun cannot help. For years now the Amsterdam city council has tried to attract a higher class of tourists, wanting to present the city as one of culture and musea rather than of hookers and coffeeshops. So far this has met with little succes, but the city has managed to alienate many of the traditional visitors. What Amsterdam has been aiming at is the high value tourist, who wants to stay in a nice hotel and eat in expensive restaurants after a day of visiting the Rijksmuseum or van Gogh museum and browsing through quaint little antique or fashion shops. To make room for those tourists the city council has been on a crusade against the traditional attractions of Amsterdam: the Red Light district, the coffeeshops and the whole infrastructure of backpacker hotels and kebab shops.

To me this strategy never made sense other than as an expression of misplaced snobbery, as Amsterdam, nice town that is, really has little to offer this kind of tourist cannot find anywhere else and better. You want culture, high end shopping and fine dining? Why go to Amsterdam if you can go to Paris, or London, or Barcelona, or Vienna or Moscow even, or…

Sure, there are plenty of other party towns in Europe as well; Prague or Riga for example, which also attract a lot of British tourists out on a stag do or hen weekend. But Amsterdam is unique in that you could party safely here: do a bit of harmless experimenting with drugs or visit a live sexshow without fear of the police. Especially the coffeeshop gave Amsterdam its reputation as a city where everything goes. For all the foreign politicians who railed about it there were hundred of young people who wanted to come over. But no more. Tourism is flagging, the Brits are staying home or moving on to cities that do appreciate them. In hindsight, putting mayor Job Cohen on UK television warning boozing Brits to stay away might not have been the smartest idea…

A stunning blow for democracy

Dutch politics
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At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve a blow was struck for direct democracy in the Netherlands, as the law on citizen initiatives was changed to allow not just ordinary signatures, but also digital ones. In our 24/7 internet ready world this is probably a good thing, even if every IT professional reading this winces at the though of how easy it is to abuse such a system. The citizen initiative, a way to force parliament to put any subject enough people feel strongly about on its agenda, has never been easier to initiate, a powerful weapon for the common voter to put their stamp on our democracy.

The 64,000 dollar question now was which burning issue would be brought to the attention of our representatives. Would the first digital initiative be about the credit crunch perhaps, or about the dire state of the world climate, or would somebody use it to bring the plight of Gaza under the eyes of parliament?

Sadly, No. The first digital citizen initiative has been used for a proposal to ban fireworks…

So, with this great democratic leap forward, what do citizens elect to do with their new found power and responsibility? Why, declare their support for the War on Fun of course! The first digital Citizen’s Initiative is here, and it’s about fireworks. The citizens, led by Green Party city council member and sour puss David Rietveld, want it outlawed. To be precise, they demand that only professionals are allowed to light fireworks on New Year’s Eve, an activity often shared between dads and their sons.

As is typical for this time, something that is clearly wrong and illegal is taken and glued to something that is fun, yet irritating to some. In this case, the New Year’s celebrations are a signal to a very few troublemakers to start burning cars and houses. And so the David Rietvelds of this world figure that it is clearly the fireworks that are at fault, not the troublemakers — who in my opionion won’t be hindered by fireworks-banning legislation in the first place, and if they did would just find other ways to be dorks.

Welcome to the War on Fun. So much more important than anything else happening in the world.