Rediscovering Europe in the Netherlands - St Antony's College ...

strengthening the legitimacy of dutch eu policy: conclusions and recommendations
Therefore, politicians and policy makers can no longer allow the content of
eu policy to be determined exclusively by specialists. By the same token,
however, they cannot absolve themselves of their responsibilities by
hiding behind the views of the Dutch public. Citizens’ views on eu policy
cannot be inferred directly from opinion polls or focus groups (Tiemeijer
2006). As in the case of the Constitutional Treaty, these views are often
superficial and vague. Above all, however, they cannot simply be translated
into concrete policy programs just like that. This is all the more the case
when it comes to complex issues of eu policy which are often distant from
daily life and experience. The Treaty revision process is – again – illustrative
in this respect. Citizens did not have a prepared concrete action plan
when it came to the review of the basic eu treaties. Although they might
desire a ‘better’ Europe which is not a ‘superstate’, what that means or how
that should be shaped is up to politicians. In short, in an eu that is becoming
increasingly political, politicians have a greater responsibility to take
the political lead, but they must shape that responsibility within the
mandate of the electorate. And yet it is precisely that mandate which they
appear to have lost.
National politicians and policy makers must therefore tap the different
sources of legitimisation. However, there is a lack of adequate mechanisms
for this in the Netherlands. The wrr has therefore formulated a number of
proposals which offer a portfolio of options for mobilising and reinforcing
the legitimising role of national politicians and policy makers. This should
ensure that the Netherlands can continue to contribute to vital eu policy
outcomes in the future. Of particular importance is the potential of these
proposals to reach beyond the mere institutional and to genuinely involve
citizens in Dutch eu policies. The most important of these proposals are
discussed in the following sections.
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7.3 better legitimisation at the level of the
political system
7.3.1 introduction
Improved legitimisation of eu policy in the Netherlands will require a
significant overhaul of the communication strategies employed by the
ministers directly involved, the Prime Minister and political spokespersons
as well as of discussions and deliberations in Parliament, within the various
political parties and in the media. Only then can politicians and policy
makers genuinely incorporate the interests and desires of citizens in the
decision-making process (representation), and be held accountable for
those actions in Parliament or the media. To date, these sorts of debates