Election time: every vote counts

News

• Why do young people primarily vote far left or far right?

  Flank parties PVV and FVD are by far the most popular among primary and secondary school students, according to the results of simulated elections (‘scholierenverkiezingen’). This is not surprising, says VU neuropsychologist Jelle Jolles to RTL Nieuws: “A lot of research has been done on this. In the middle stage of life, you vote more broadly.” According to him, teenagers are influenced differently than adults. “At that age, the social brain is important in making choices”, says Jolles. “Young adults are much more influenced by their friends, but their friends are only as mature as they themselves are.”

• Most voters want a coalition with NSC

  VU researchers Wouter van Atteveldt, Nel Ruigrok and Mariken van der Velden recently studied the preferred coalitions of voters in a survey with 2,400 respondents. What emerged? Most voters were positive about a partnership with NSC, including the floating voters. According to Van Atteveldt, “Everyone wants to govern with the party and, as a bonus, voters get the promise of radical change.” It does not matter much to voters that Omtzigt takes a conservative tone in his election manifesto. “Voters don’t read election manifestos”, Van Atteveldt says in Trouw.

• The rich are richer and the poor are poorer

  The housing market was a major election issue. According to VU professor of urban economics Hans Koster, the problems in the housing market primarily have to do with the widening gap between income groups. “The rich are richer and the poor are poorer”, says Koster in Follow The Money. But it is also becoming increasingly difficult for the average family to find affordable housing.

• Election rhetoric

  In EenVandaag, professor of economics and public finance Bas Jacobs analyses a recent statement by VVD list leader Dilan Yeşilgöz. She claimed that if it were up to GroenLinks-PvdA, some people would start paying 100 per cent taxes. She was refering to research by Jacobs. But is that right? According to the professor, it concerns the group of Dutch people with assets of more than one million euros. “In the GroenLinks-PvdA plans, the wealth tax becomes higher the wealthier people are”, he says. “In some cases, the ‘effective tax rate’ on income from certain assets would rise to more than 100 per cent.”

• PVV and NSC win in elections: what will happen to higher education and science?

  With 37 seats, the PVV becomes the largest party in the House of Representatives. Newcomer NSC acquires 20. Both parties want to halt the internationalisation of higher education. Ad Valvas takes a closer look at the election results (in Dutch). I couldn’t find an English version of this article.

• The Young Academy: ‘Polarised debate on internationalisation is threat to science’

  “Good science cannot exist without international exchange”, the Young Academy claims in Ad Valvas. The society of young scientists is worried about the ‘highly politicised’ discourse on the language of instruction.

• Parties no longer shifting left; voters are in the middle

  In their election manifestos, parties are moving more to the centre or the right, according to the “Kieskompas” (electoral compass). The previous shift to the left is over. VU Amsterdam political scientist and creator of Kieskompas André Krouwel tells Trouw that right-wing parties are “strongly radicalising and fragmenting”.

• Elections 2023: migration and integration

  What plans do political parties have when it comes to asylum and migration? VU Amsterdam scientists from the migration law field discuss this on Verblijfblog.nl (in Dutch): 

  • Dutch asylum policy 
  • International dimension of asylum policy 
  • Family reunification 
  • Integration

• VU Amsterdam research expert criticises Vera Bergkamp, chair of the Dutch House of Representatives

  The integrity investigation into former chair of the Dutch House of Representatives Khadija Arib has recently been completed. Current chair Vera Bergkamp announced the results on 31 October, while the judge will rule on the case filed by Arib on the legality of the investigation on 15 November. Rob van Eijbergen, VU Amsterdam professor of integrity and quality of organisations, calls this “morally reprehensible” in Het Parool. “Arib is being obstructed in her legal process. The investigation has been going on for so long – those two weeks won’t make much difference.”

• Election Debate College Tour at VU Amsterdam campus

  On Sunday 22 October, the Election Debate College Tour took place at VU Amsterdam. Party leaders Dilan Yesilgöz (VVD), Pieter Omtzigt (NSC), Frans Timmermans (GL-PVDA) and Caroline van der Plas (BBB) answered questions from students and debated various topics.

• Entrepreneurs fill the VVD party coffers

  The VVD has more campaign funds that any other party. During organised dinners, VVD politicians come into contact with entrepreneurs who want to donate large amounts, writes de Volkskrant. VU Amsterdam political scientist André Krouwel is extremely critical: “This is where access to power is bought. You and I cannot simply sit down with a minister for two hours. You can only have dinner with them for €10,000 to €100,000. Which means only certain interests are brought to the table.”

• VU Amsterdam lecturer Kilian Wawoe on NSC board

  VU Amsterdam lecturer in human resources Kilian Wawoe is co-director of the new party “Nieuw Sociaal Contract,” and he’s responsible for the selection of candidates. Ad Valvas interviewed him about his motivations and political aspirations. Wawoe: “Pieter Omtzigt made such an impression on me that when he started his own party, I went with him.”

• The obligation to think for yourself

  “Letting the cabinet fall just before the summer break, in the midst of countless crises and purely for party-political reasons – doesn’t get much more cynical politically,” says VU Amsterdam legal philosopher Martijn Stronks in de Groene Amsterdammer. He discusses Simone Weil’s essay,

  Politics without parties, which criticises political parties that neglect the public interest and only strive for power and growth.

• “People feel so unsafe that they can no longer engage in politics”

  Politicians are increasingly quitting as a result of threats and heated public debate. That is “an impoverishment of democracy,” says political scientist Mariken van der Velden on BNR. “People feel so unsafe that they can no longer engage in politics.”

• Politicians are now rightly starting to think more about public finances

  Last week, the Dutch House of Representatives debated the Spring Memorandum, an overview of the current state of central government expenditure and income. Professor of economics and public finance Bas Jacobs from VU Amsterdam followed the debate closely and shared his vision in the TV programme EenVandaag. Read the summary here (in Dutch)

• Who makes the rules when it comes to migration law?

  In migration law, the executive power often makes rules without parliamentary involvement. This is problematic, according to VU Amsterdam professor of migration law Lieneke Slingenberg. The family reunification measure, which temporarily prevented family members of admitted refugees from coming to the Netherlands, is an example. “In administrative law, the executive power often makes rules, but in migration law these rules deeply affect fundamental aspects of migrants’ lives.” Read more here (in Dutch).

Opinion

• Pierre Koning and Arjen Siegmann: “Break the benefits machine and prevent poverty.”

  VU Amsterdam professor of labour economics and social security Pierre Koning and VU Amsterdam professor of valuable work Arjen Siegmann claim in NRC that the benefits system is untenable. According to them, the system makes work unaffordable, especially for people with a low income. “Politicians will now have to make painful choices,” the scientists claim.

• Paul van Lange: “The government must do much more to enable climate-friendly behaviour.”

  “It’s often difficult to change your behaviour on your own,” writes VU Amsterdam psychology professor Paul van Lange in NRC. “Travelling by train instead of by plane? The government can remove many barriers.” One of the best predictors of human behaviour is seeing what others do, says Van Lange. “But this natural form of social influence won’t work if nothing changes in the short term in terms of the attraction, comfort and availability of trains.”

• Gjalt de Graaf and Leo Huberts: “Not enough attention is being paid to integrity and decency in government.”

  More attention should be paid to integrity in political campaigns, according to VU Amsterdam professor of public administration Gjalt de Graaf and VU Amsterdam emeritus professor of public administration Leo Huberts in the Volkskrant. They appeal to the new generation of politicians who are taking office: “Politics and government need more integrity and decency to regain the trust of citizens.”

• Is populism necessary for a healthy democracy?

  Populism in the Netherlands has been on the rise for years. But is that really so bad? Researchers from VU Amsterdam and the ULB argue that we actually need populist parties.

Agenda

• Earlier events

  22 November – Cast your vote at VU Amsterdam!

  A polling station will be open in the Main Building between 7.30 and 21.00 on Wednesday 22 November. Residents of Amsterdam can cast their votes here for the early Lower House elections. Read more on this page. 

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