According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, 5.7% of the world's population in 2019, lived in countries that described as 'full democracies'. In 2008 this was still 14.4%. This fact should worry all of us deeply. How is this possible, and what does it say about us as citizens and about our politicians? Have we made the right electoral choices and do our politicians sufficiently protect us against lack of freedom, disorder and arbitrariness? In this article, I examine what forces threaten us and what opens the door to that which we escaped 75 years ago.

PostedMay 15, 2020

AuthorMark Goudsmit

CategoriesEnglish language blogs, Democracy, Politics, Religion, Populism, Governance, Human rights

TagsDemocracy, Religion, Abuse, Identity politics, Autocrats, absolutism, shortermism, lobbying, flawed institutions, natural disasters

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The Dutch depend on cooperation and compromise to keep their feet dry. For a country which is two-third below sea level, this is an existential necessity. They use the same approach in politics to broker solutions between parties with conflicting interests in complex matters. This model is also known as the 'polder' or ‘polderen'. The success with which the Dutch apply it to tackling complex issues proves it works. This article shows that the Netherlands is outperforming other countries in this area to the benefit of its citizens.

PostedDecember 31, 2019

AuthorMark Goudsmit

CategoriesClimate change, English language blogs, Governance, Netherlands, Politics

Tagspolder, polderen, Dutch polder, environment, healthcare, pensions, consensus politics, Netherlands

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Again, a Brexit deadline expires without result. Brexit will be decided in a general election (or not?). Boris Johnson plays the card of protecting 'the will of the people'' to force his luck at the ballot box. Nobody has a clue what that 'will’ might be. This article attempts to figure out what 'the people' precisely wanted when they voted for 'Leave'. It might be something quite different from what the hard Brexiteers are now aiming for.

PostedOctober 29, 2019

AuthorMark Goudsmit

CategoriesBrexit, Economy, English language blogs, Europe, Politics, Populism

TagsBrexit, UK, EU, Singapore-upon-Thames, ERG, Johnson

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Sir Winston Churchill would turn in his grave. If the Battle of Britain was the highlight of sacrifice by the very few for the future of so many in the United Kingdom and beyond, then the Brexit is the opposite. Rarely, dysfunctional (in)action of so few, affected the future of so many. This episode of the Brexit monitor looks back, takes stock and (with due hesitation given the unpredictability of things) looks ahead.

PostedMay 4, 2019

AuthorMark Goudsmit

CategoriesBrexit, Europe, English language blogs, Politics

TagsBrexit, UK, EU, Brexit monitor, backstop

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Parliament Square, London - January 15, 2019 (Irish Times/picture by Kirsty O’Connor/PA)

The 15th of January 2019 should have gone into history as the day that the United Kingdom took back control from the European Union .... if not for the fact that everything in this file always unfolds in entirely other ways than expected, while actually nothing has changed that much. Theresa May is still there, the Brexit-deal is by no means dead, and the British remain hopelessly divided. In this interim Brexit-update, I try to explore the current situation, and make some predictions.

PostedJanuary 20, 2019

AuthorMark Goudsmit

CategoriesBrexit, Economy, Politics, English language blogs, Europe

TagsBrexit, Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Good Friday, EU, no-deal

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On 2 February, the United Kingdom completed its negotiations with the EU on the revision of their treaty obligations. This did not provide the outcome Cameron had hoped for. It would appear that anti-EU movements in the UK in particular can turn this to good account. There is a real risk that the agreement is grist to the mill for anti-Europe parties in continental Europe as well. In this article I will discuss the history and circumstances of British participation in the EU, its desire to revise the terms of membership, the agreement of February 2 and the implications it may have for both Cameron, the UK and the EU itself (Google translation of an article written in Dutch on February 4, with some minor amendments).

PostedFebruary 17, 2016

AuthorMark Goudsmit

CategoriesEnglish language blogs

TagsBrexit, Cameron, EU, UK

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20 years of Corporate Governance and increasing regulation in Netherlands and elsewhere did not bring about the much desired and anticipated focus on longer-term value creation for all stakeholders associated with the company. Essentially the focus is still short-term but with the added disadvantage of increased regulation, rising compliance cost and a check-the-box mentality. We need to address inadequacies in the system from within, rather than creating frameworks around the system. Rewarding longer-term shareholder engagement might be one solution, thus creating the right mindset to move things forward.

Political pests: pitfalls for citizens and politicians

Tribute to the polder

Singapore-upon-Thames?

Brexit: the first nine seasons; Brexit monitor 4th quarter 2018

Fifty Shades Of Brexit

British EU 'deal' is not just toxic for Cameron alone

Moving the dial on longer-term value creation, an alternative perspective