Citizens’ trust in the government was further tested in 2021, partly due to drastic corona measures and political crises. That is what the National Ombudsman, Reinier van Zutphen, sets on Wednesday his annual report† A recommendation from the report is that the government should pay more attention to the interests of citizens when developing policy.
Last year, drastic corona measures also ensured that the government was “often physically inaccessible” for many, the ombudsman says. According to him, fundamental rights of citizens have come under pressure, especially those of young generations. They have shown solidarity, he says, but then grow up with educational disadvantages, a high student debt “and no chance of a house”.
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The resignation of the Rutte III cabinet at the beginning of the year was followed by a period of ‘caretaker silence’. Politicians have taken a lot of time for ‘administrative introspection’. The ombudsman may be referring here to the political crisis that arose after last year’s parliamentary elections, after the notes of scout Kajsa Ollongren were photographed — the phrase ‘Omtzigt position, function elsewhere’ caused the formation to be virtually silent for at least six months.
on hold
The consequence, according to the National Ombudsman, is that ‘many necessary’ files have been put on hold. He mentions the recovery operation for childcare allowance and the settlement of the gas extraction damage in Groningen and Drenthe as examples. As a result, citizens’ lives have become more ‘complicated’ and confidence in government has been tested.
The ombudsman also notes that he sees more people who are at risk of falling into long-term poverty after the corona crisis. He specifically mentions people who are struggling with the long-term consequences of a corona infection and entrepreneurs who had to “find too deep into their financial reserves” as examples. “Once you live in poverty, it is often very difficult to get out of it.” These people also run a greater risk of other problems.
Designing better policies
In order to solve the above problems, the government must design policy and implementation in which the perspective of the citizen is central. Providing customization within the current policy is ‘not a solution for bad policy’.
The report was drawn up by three Ombudsmen: the National Ombudsman, the Veterans Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children. They also raise their own hearts by stating that there has been less personal contact with citizens due to the corona measures, although the ombudsmen remained “available”.