Government lacks vision, system is out-of-date: mayor

The current government does not have a clear vision and the political system will hold back the Dutch economy over the coming years, Eindhoven mayor Rob van Gijzel said in his New Year speech on Monday.

Van Gijzel, a Labour party member, says the political system is out-of-date and no longer works. During his recent stint as chairman of the organisation of local councils, he saw how government is often the brake that stops vital social change.

‘I see a government that inhabits a vertical and hierarchical world that allows a connection with the horizontal network society to pass it by,’ he told his audience.

Van Gijzel says the lack of vision will have economic consequences. ‘More than other countries, the Netherlands keeps its borders as closed as possible or discourages people from coming here,’ he said. ‘If this does not change, the economy will be put back by years.’

The mayor also said investment in research and development is far too low. ‘If we continue down the same path, the Netherlands will drop from 18th largest world economy to 32nd by 2030.’

 

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