It’s only been a quarter of a century, maybe a little longer. The time of Purple, of Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. The time of the end of history, according to the American philosopher Francis Fukuyama. We all agreed with each other, in the Netherlands and actually worldwide – except for a few weirdos, such as Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. We fought this together with almost the entire world, in the name of freedom, peace and justice. Even peace activists such as Mient Jan Faber of the Interchurch Peace Council supported those ‘last’ wars after which there would always be peace.
Politics had become boring. There were few contradictions. Because the ‘great stories’ had died. We found each other in a rational pragmatism. Politicians became technocrats, managers who managed the Netherlands as wisely as possible. Everyone agreed on the goal, at most we discussed the means.
No one could have imagined that in 2025 this country and the rest of the world would be divided to the core. That after every election for the House of Representatives it is more difficult to form a cabinet, due to political fragmentation. That political debate, listening to each other’s positions, has degenerated into chanting one’s own one-liners, aimed at the electoral effect.
Where did it go wrong? With the rise of Pim Fortuyn in the same period, which we initially paid little attention to? Was it 9/11? That attack certainly shook the idea of world peace. Yet, despite the attacks by Al-Qaeda, the 2000s were still an oasis of political peace and stability compared to today. Was it the economic crisis of 2008/2009 and the euro crisis that followed? Is climate change playing a role that created a new political divide? The rise of social media, which offered every opinion an unprecedented (and unfiltered) reach? Corona, which was a divisive issue among friends and family members? Or is humanity simply not fit for rest and peace? Do we ‘simply’ invent new points of contention when the old ones have been resolved?
When the Russians invaded Ukraine, the former solidarity briefly seemed to return. The West stood side by side again. Although after a few months we discovered with disappointment that the rest of the world was not participating, and a number of countries, even in Eastern Europe, started to drop out. The massacre of Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023 and the war that followed, once again plunged the world and the Netherlands into division.
Every day I long more for those magical nineties. When we discussed and negotiated together and always came to an agreement: in politics, but also beyond. When we mainly dealt with our biggest opponents with respect. When we felt that emotion did not really belong in politics. A bit boring, but it worked.
The funny thing is: I still have the feeling that tomorrow we can decide to turn the clock back 25 years and start behaving normally again. Because no matter how great the contradictions may seem, unlike, for example, the 1930s or the 1960s, the contradictions are actually not that great. We still share the same basic values: almost all of us are for democracy, for human rights, for freedom of expression, for the rule of law, for a clean environment and we all believe that one country should not invade another to expand its territory. Actually, we still agree. And that is unique in world history.
And yet we continue to argue endlessly, like spouses in a bad marriage who can no longer do anything else. What our society actually needs is a good relationship therapist. We no longer seem to know how to offer others space, show understanding and how to build further based on satisfaction and well-being.
Aylin Bilic is a headhunter and publicist.
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