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

ediscovering europe in the netherlands
project himself as a leader than it would have been for his Dutch counterpart.
In other words, the social context in which politicians act is also an
important factor (Weber 1976).
Red lines are well suited to political views involving a positive approach
toward European co-operation, whilst at the same time, the need for
certain limits is acknowledged. Red lining may thus highlight the relevant
differences in views between political parties. For example, parties that
emphasise individual freedoms may formulate red lines to protect Dutch
legislation and practices on issues such as euthanasia, abortion, soft drugs
and the rights of homosexuals, whereas other parties may be less troubled
if these issues were to become the focus of debate as a result of European
initiatives.
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Concluding remarks
Two safeguards have been discussed in this section which operate in the
vertical relationship between the eu and the individual member states.
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive elaboration of all of the possible safeguards
of this type. Veto rights, the attribution principle (whereby the eu
only has those powers which the member states have explicitly conferred
upon it) and the ‘competence catalogue’ are other salient examples.
However, the two examples cited do provide good insight into the potential
and the risks. Although these kinds of safeguards may offer opportunities
for Dutch politicians to improve the legitimisation of eu policy in the
Netherlands, the following aspects must also be taken into account. Firstly,
these safeguards apply to the relationship between the eu and member
states. This provides no guarantee, however, that citizens will actually
be involved. Much of this depends on the way the safeguards are applied.
Secondly, safeguards of this kind – if they are applied by national politicians
– are of a defensive nature and therefore fit in primarily with political
views which highlight the defensive aspect. Clear demarcation lines may
contribute to the genuine legitimacy of eu policy in the Netherlands in
some respects, but it also requires a clear view of what eu actions are actually
desirable. Moreover, social and political problems are often not tackled
simply by choosing between Europe and the member state; instead, they
involve more intricate choices from a much richer ‘policy menu’. The
substantive choices that have to be made could disappear into the background
by emphasising the choice between ‘the Netherlands’ and ‘Europe’.
4.2.4 safeguards within the netherlands
As observed in section 4.2.2, the Netherlands has never paid much attention
to horizontal safeguards. Other countries have established safeguards