Posts from March 2010

Dutch Words for Pets

Posted by noortje 5 Comments
Mar 30 2010

Holland is small country, so we don’t have exotic animals like bears and kangaroos as pets. But we absolutely believe that an animal can be a great friend, so some sorts we welcome into our homes. Sometimes even in our beds. Mainly we love everything that is furry, not bigger than the size of a pig and warm. Although there are some that prefer the cold blooded types like snakes, let me focus on the main group of pets (and their needs) so you can buy them in Dutch:

Animals:

The guinea pig  :   de cavia

The rabbit  :  het konijn

The hamster  :  de  hamster

The rat  :  de rat

The cat  :   de kat

The fish  :  de vissen

The dog  :  de hond

The bird  :  de vogel

Necessities:

The hay  :  het hooi

The food  :  het voer

The cage  :  de kooi

Th leash  :  de lijn

The bowl  :  de bak

The dog basket  :  de hondenmand

The dog food  :  de hondenbrokken

The bird cage  :  de vogelkooi

The seeds  :  de zaadjes

The toys  :  de speeltjes

What kinds of pets do you have?  Try writing a sentence in the comments section below.  Example:  Ik heb een hond. Hij is heel lief!

Dutch Political Parties Part Two

Posted by sarah 1 Comment
Mar 29 2010

In my last blog I left off with telling you a bit about five of the major political parties in the Netherlands.  As you could see, this is an interesting time for the Netherlands in terms of politics, with many party leaders coming and going.  In this blog I’m going to continue on with this list, in no particular order.  Again, I absolutely encourage you all to express your opinions and engage in debate in the comments section, especially since my overview of the parties is simply that: an overview.  I couldn’t possibly list all the standpoints on all the issues for all the parties here.

CU, ChristenUnie : Christian Union
http://www.christenunie.nl

Christen Unie is a conservative democratic Christian party.  This party was the surprise third party rounding off the last coalition government.  I say surprise because they are not a large party in comparison to VVD, which was the expected third party for the coalition.  Although they have technically been a party since 2000, they were formed, and reformed throughout the 20th Century from a variety of more conservative Christian parties.  Although they tend to take a more conservative view on social issues such as abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage, they are economically a bit more left than CDA and focus a great deal on education, social services and health care issues.  CU uses the Bible directly as a basis for it’s policies and ideology, whereas CDA uses the Bible in a more general sense for guidance on issues.  The current vice Prime Minister is Andre Rouvoet from Christen Unie.  After the fall of the cabinet he was appointed Minister of Education, Culture and Science.

GroenLinks : Green Left
http://groenlinks.nl/

GroenLinks is a leftist party that was formed out of three smaller leftist parties and one leftist Christian party in 1989.  Their name basically says it all: they are a leftist party with a focus on the environment and environmentally sustainable solutions to modern problems.  They focus on social issues such as education, crime and unemployment and their solution through social support and social methods.  They are socially tolerant, environmentally conscious, and are socially liberal on issues such as gay marriage, euthanasia and abortion.  They are often criticized for solutions that are too long-term and do not produce immediate results, although they can also be praised for having a great deal of foresight in their policy decisions.

Currently the most well known face of GroenLinks is Femke Halsema.  In stark contrast to the fighting spirit of Agnes Kant from SP, Halsema tends to focus on discussion and cooperative solutions.  In recent years she has become a well respected member of parliament, and until the recent upheaval of PvdA, was well liked for a possible position as Prime Minister.

PVV, Partij voor de Vrijheid : Party for Freedom
http://www.pvv.nl/

PVV is probably the most controversial of all the current Dutch political parties.  It’s founding member, Geert Wilders, was originally a member of VVD, and his economic policies generally reflect that.  This party is more economically liberal and will often have the same economic stand on any given issue as VVD.  Where Geert Wilders differed so dramatically from the VVD was in his radical view of Islam as a threat to modern European society.  He takes a strong stand on the active prevention of a further “Islamicisation” of the Netherlands, and is outspoken against further immigration of residents from Islamic countries.  He proposes sending any person of Islamic faith back to their country of origin if they commit a crime in the Netherlands, taxing any woman wearing a head scarf, and introducing a sort of militia to reduce crime.  As you can see, these are pretty extreme proposals, and people get very riled up about the things he says.

Due to his often argumentative style, and some of the more extreme statements he has made, he has consistently become more marginalized by other political parties.  SP has taken a strong stand against PVV, stating that SP would refuse to form a coalition government with them.  PvdA has made it clear that they also will not form a coalition government with PVV, though CDA has held that it is undemocratic to refuse to form a coalition with anyone if the Dutch voters have chosen via their votes to include this party.  Despite the lack of support from some of the other parties, PVV did reasonably well in the recent town hall elections in the two towns they participated in.  Although this offered a chance for PVV to gain more influence, it appears that no one is willing to form a coalition with them in those towns.  Only time will tell if his party peters out or gains more widespread support, although due to the recent changes in PvdA, it appears that Job Cohen might prove a worthy adversary when the elections come around on June 9th.

Despite all the negative press afforded PVV, the party has been responsible for bringing to light a lively discussion on the nature of hate speech and how that differs from the right to free speech in this country.  Geert Wilders is currently on trial for inciting hatred against a particular group, that being Muslims, and has opened up a much broader discussion on what freedom of speech should and shouldn’t include.

Trots op Nederland : Proud of the Netherlands
http://www.trotsopnederland.com/

Trots op Nederland is another populist political party, not so dissimilar from PVV.  They are economically conservative and very nationalistic.  Unlike PVV, who has received media attention via radical statements against Islam and Muslims generally, Trots op Nederland has mostly only eluded to the statements that PVV outright declares.  They are proud of their country, would like to stop what they perceive to be a flood of immigration into the country, and feel very strongly about maintaining traditional Dutch cultural values.  The founder and most well known member is Rita Verdonk, who officially founded the party in 2008.  The party has dwindled during recent years and might only have a short-lived career.

Partij voor de Dieren : Party for the Animals
http://www.partijvoordedieren.nl/

PvdD was founded in 2006 by Marianne Thieme as a means of bringing the issues of animal rights and animal welfare into the public sphere.  The founding of the party was heralded by support from a few Dutch celebrities, and since then has maintained a small minority of votes, but always enough to remain in parliament.  Although Marianne Thieme seems to disagree with me on this point, I do think it is a single issue party, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  Mainly I mention PvdD not because they have a strong political influence, but because they are a great example of the diversity found in the Dutch multiparty system.

And that concludes our list of Dutch political parties.  Now, there are a few more parties floating around out there with around one seat in parliament, but mostly the ones I’ve listed are the ones that gain the most attention.  Some are more controversial than others, some are single issue parties, and some of them will probably be around for a very long time.

So how does the Dutch multiparty system differ from your own system?  Can you see any pros or cons to this system?  If you could vote, or do vote, what party do you support and why?  Share your opinions with us in the comments section below!

If you liked this post you might also like:

Dutch Political Parties Part One

Dutch Political System in a Nutshell

Annie M.G. Schmidt and the Adults

Posted by noortje No Comments
Mar 26 2010

We covered Annie M.G. Schmidt’s work for kids and teenagers, which leaves one group missing: what did Annie M.G. Schmidt write for adults? Although I kept this topic until last, Schmidt actually started out with writing for the adults.

In 1938 she got herself out there by writing two poems that were both published in the magazine Opwaartsche Wegen. But like I said before, it wasn’t until after the war that she gained some fame. In the period of 1952 until 1958 she wrote 91 episodes of the radio play “In Holland staat een huis” (In Holland there is a house) about family Doorsnee (family Average). Schmidt was not afraid to be different, and that wasn’t always appreciated by the Dutch people. For example: in one of her plays she let someone say that he would kick the other persons butt. People were shocked and called the VARA, the network that aired the radio play, to complain or to end their membership. Despite this, Schmidt stayed a favorite among the audience .

In 1950 three bundles appeared:  “En wat dan nog?”, “Het fluitketeltje” and “Brood en Mangelpers”, with “Het Fluitketeltje” as a childrens book.  In 1965 she wrote her first musical called “Heerlijk duurt het langst.”  This play with the music of Harry Bannink had 534 showings.  A lot of musicals followed over the years. To name a few: “En nu naar bed” (1971), “Foxtrot” (1977) and “Madam” (1981).

Schmidt also created TV shows, with “Ja zuster, nee zuster” (1968) as one of the most famous ones, again with  Bannink as her closest co-worker responsible for the music. The show “Pleisterkade 17” was aired in twelve episodes between 1975 and 1977 and was a great success as well.

In 1991 Schmidt stopped with writing. She was almost completely blind and after a hip surgery after a fall in 1994, she decided it was enough. Schmidt discussed euthanasia with her doctor and asked Bannink to write the music for her funeral. She explained to him what she wanted and said: “I think it is time I deserve a party in which I am actually present.” On the early morning of her 84th birthday she ended her life. She is buried on cemetery Zorgvliet in Amsterdam.

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What’s your favorite song from Annie M.G. Schmidt?  Tell us all about it in the comments section below!

Dutch Political Parties Part One

Posted by sarah 9 Comments
Mar 24 2010

We all know politics can be a dangerous topic, therefore, I am simply going to give you all an overview of some of the major national political parties in the Netherlands, and I’ll try to keep my own political opinions mostly out of it.  But!  I thoroughly encourage you all to have a lively debate with one another in the comments section.  Also keep in mind that many cities have their own local political parties, and those tend to do quite well in the local elections.  I couldn’t possibly list them all here.

Therefore, in no particular order, the major Dutch national political parties:

PvdA, Partij van de Arbeid : Labor Party
http://nu.pvda.nl/

The Labor Party in the Netherlands is a fairly old and respected party.  They are a social-democratic party, which means they have a focus on social services and welfare.  Their talking points include improving education and access to education, social benefits, and as of late, stabilizing the economy. PvdA were responsible for the recent collapse of the cabinet, as they decided to quit due to their conflicting views on continued Dutch involvement in Afghanistan.  PvdA had repeatedly promised its voters that they would pull troops out of Afghanistan, but this had not happened.  CDA wanted to continue involvement.   In making the tough decision to stand by their political promises, PvdA quit, which in turn meant that the coalition was defunct.  It is possible that this issue was a bit of the “straw that broke the camel’s back” as PvdA has had a rocky history with CDA, and there were many other problems between the two parties at the time this issue came to a head.

The most recognizable member of this party is Wouter Bos, the former minister of finance who saw the Netherlands through the economic crisis during 2008-2009.  Within the last week he stepped down from politics altogether, stating that he has not had enough time for his family since joining politics.  Wouter Bos will be replaced by Mayor Job Cohen of Amsterdam, and at the time of this writing, many people feel favorable about Cohen as his replacement.  Because of his widespread support, he is quite possibly the next Prime Minister, but only time will tell.

VVD, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie : People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy
http://www.vvd.nl/

The VVD is the largest economically conservative party in the country, and like the PvdA, are a long-standing and respected party.  They are what I would call in American terms more libertarian, but let me be clear about some terminology.  In Europe the term “economically liberal” means that there is less government involvement, hence you will also hear this party called “economically liberal” in European terms.  This means that they focus on less government regulation for businesses, a free-market economy, individual responsibility and freedom and less government rules and regulations overall.  This party did not make up the most recent coalition government with CDA and PvdA, though they have been a member of many coalition governments in the past.  Interestingly enough, some of the more populist political party leaders were originally members of the VVD and then moved on to form their own parties.  They are currently led by Mark Rutte, who, in a poll of the opinions of parliament members last year, was considered the best politician by his peers.

CDA, Christen-Democratisch Appel : Christian Democratic Appeal
http://www.cda.nl/

CDA is a Christian-democratic party that generally remains centrist on many issues.  In 1980 they were formed from the fusion of one Catholic political party, and two Protestant parties.  Although they were founded out of three Christian political parties, they focus on religious tolerance, and being Christian is not a requirement for membership in this party.  They use the Bible in a very general sense as a moral compass for their values, and because of this they do appeal to members of other religions as well.  CDA has held the majority in the cabinet for many years now, and the current Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, who has had four terms as prime minister, is from CDA.  With elections coming up on June 9th, we all wait to see if Balkenende will return as prime minister for a fifth coalition government, though many people, both within and outside of CDA, feel it might be time for something new.  Balkenende has received quite a bit of backlash in the last few months over a number of important issues, and the recent fall of the cabinet was the second fall of the cabinet that has occurred under his leadership.  Although his leadership skills have been under fire, CDA still remains one of the dominant political parties.

D66, Democraten 66 : Democrats 66
http://www.d66.nl/

D66 was formed, if you hadn’t already guessed, in 1966, by journalist Hans van Mierlo.  Sadly, the founder of D66 recently passed away at the age of 78 after a very long and successful political career.  The main goals of D66 have been further democratization of the Dutch political system, and more political involvement from citizens.  They are therefore progressive, because they want to change the political system itself, socially liberal because they believe that the backbone of the society is it’s ability to help it’s citizens, and radically democratic because they believe that citizens should be able to have a physical vote on issues and political positions.  They would like citizens to be able to vote for the mayor of their city, the prime minister, and on specific issues, just to name a few things.  They focus on citizen outreach through “livingroom chats” with citizens in their own homes, where they figure out what the constituency wants through one-on-one interaction.  They like to consider themselves politically flexible on the issues, therefore they do not take a strong philosophical stand and prefer to deal with issues on an “as they come” basis.  Historically they have remained a bit more economically conservative and have a focus on supporting smaller business, while being socially liberal and fairly outspoken champions of gay rights.

SP, Socialistische Partij : Socialist Party
http://www.sp.nl/

SP is another Dutch political party with a long and rich history.  They were originally founded as a combination of Maoist and Marxist/Leninist groups in the 1970s, and subsequently went through a few incarnations, until they finally settled on leaving behind Marxist/Leninist philosophy in the early 1990s.  Since 1994 they have been officially called SP, though they are by no means a new party.  SP is a democratic-socialist party with very clear philosophical positions on the issues, in stark contrast to D66.  They focus on many social issues, including welfare, education, employment, and worker’s rights, with the guiding principle being socialist philosophy.  The political representatives often stand in stark contrast to other politicians if you go see a local debate, where the SP member will most likely be wearing red, and most likely won’t look like a politician at all, but rather a regular working-class citizen who got concerned and decided to get involved.

The most recognizable face of SP for the last two years has been their party leader, Agnes Kant, who recently stepped down from this position.  This followed the poor results of SP in the recent local elections, and her personal decision that someone else might fill the position better.  Agnes Kant has made a bit of a caricature out of herself in the last few years because she gets really fired up over the issues and does a lot of yelling, which is a bit nontraditional for Dutch politicians.  On the other hand, her passion for politics has been admirable, and whether or not I agree with her politics, I do think she’s been fun to watch and someone I would want on my side in a fight.

Ok, here is where I’ll stop for now, I think five major political parties is enough for you all to chew on for right now.  In the next blog I’ll cover another five political parties you should know about, some of them being more controversial than others.

But in the meantime, why not leave us a comment?  Tell us all about your thoughts on the recent elections, the fall of the cabinet, or any other political topic you want to discuss.

Dutch Political System in a Nutshell

Posted by sarah 2 Comments
Mar 22 2010

One of the benefits of learning a foreign language is that once you do, you find yourself getting more involved in the culture than you could otherwise.  Yes, many people in the Netherlands speak English on some level or another, but generally all the interesting Dutch stuff happens in Dutch.  One of those interesting things is politics.  And it is an interesting time to be in the Netherlands as we recently had the city hall elections, and will be holding the national elections on June 9th due to the fall of the cabinet earlier this year.

General Information

The Netherlands has a multiparty constitutional monarchy.  That’s a mouthful!  What it means is that there is a king or queen, currently Queen Beatrix.  The monarch is limited in power by a parliament, a group of officials elected by the general public. The entire system is governed in compliance with a constitution, which sets out the ground rules for the system and the basic rights and privileges of the people.

Constitution

The Dutch constitution dates from 1815 and has been revised a number of times since.  The constitution includes a bill of rights which includes, among many other things, the right  to vote, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, the right to counsel and the right to education.  This document sets the guidelines for the parliamentary system, the judicial system, and the role of the monarchy.

Monarchy http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/

The current monarch in the Netherlands is Queen Beatrix.  The royal family are the descendants of William of Orange.  The queen serves a few primary functions in government.  She serves as an adviser to the cabinet and prime minister in the role of expert on how the government works.  She provides continuity in government between elections and the time when a new coalition is formed.  The Queen’s role is to appoint the person in charge of coordinating the process of forming a coalition government.

But mainly the role of the monarchy is in a very general sense to serve as a cultural icon for the Dutch, both at home and abroad.  The royal family are invited to many international political functions, and serve as ambassadors for the Dutch people.

Parliament http://www.parlement.nl/

The parliament in the Netherlands consists of the First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and the Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer).  The Tweede Kamer is where all the action happens, and some people feel that perhaps the Eerste Kamer no longer fills much of a role in the government here.  To be quite honest, I don’t really have a position on that issue, but perhaps some of you might.

The Tweede Kamer consists of the parties that were directly voted into position by the general public in the general elections.  There are many parties in the Netherlands, and some parties have as few as one seat in parliament.  After elections, a few parties get together that form a majority, set up a coalition and create a cabinet.   They have to do this because if no one has a clear majority, it’s possible nothing will ever get done.  It usually happens that the government is run by a coalition, though this is not a requirement.

The Tweede Kamer creates all new laws and policies, which is why it is the more exciting house of parliament.  This is the place where all the parties duke it out to get laws passed.  Sometimes the process can be hampered by the multiparty system -it can be slower, but other times the multiparty system allows for creative solutions to come forward -parliament members must think together and create a dynamic solution.  There are pros and cons to everything.

The Eerste Kamer is, quite frankly, rather dull.  This is a group of 75 representatives chosen by the provincial parliaments, not directly elected by the people.  Their only power is to approve or disapprove of new laws.  But the fact is, once a new law or policy has been given the go-ahead by the Tweede Kamer, it’s incredibly rare that the Eerste Kamer disapproves of the law.  That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but it’s pretty rare, making it a place where not much action takes place.  They put the final seal of approval on a law, and that’s about it.

So there you have it, the Dutch political system in a nutshell.  How does this differ from the political system in your own country?  What do you think some of the pros and the cons are of this system?  And now that you know how it all works, we can talk a little about who the people are that are running the government here. In my next blog I’ll give you an overview of the Dutch political parties, and try very hard to be as neutral as possible.

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