Still sympathetic that the king takes the carriage in the European Week of Mobility. That week is intended to generate attention for ‘sustainable urban traffic’, but in the Netherlands there seems to be little enthusiasm. Until last Sunday I had never even heard of it. By chance I found myself in Brussels, and it turned out to be Car Free Sunday. The entire city, including the six-lane inner ring road, was closed to motorized traffic, except for a single bus. Cyclists and walkers everywhere; football was played in a tunnel.
Of course, Brussels has to be, as an EU showpiece. The Netherlands is trudging along like a slow pony after the climate goals, so large-scale initiatives are not forthcoming. Minister Harbers (Infrastructure) also kept quiet. Too busy with Amelisweerd? Only the province of Utrecht made a valiant attempt and temporarily closed a tiny part of the Amersfoort city ring.
And now there was the king in his glass carriage. Almost the entire city center of The Hague is car-free, just like London the day before during the Royal Funeral. Traffic-resistant monarchs: for example, the royal houses with all their outward display are single-handedly responsible for a sustainability revolution. Nitrogen-free, with the exception of a horse fig here and there.
The Koninklijke Schouwburg spoke about ‘ecological borders’ and ‘green hydrogen’. The lackeys wore new, durable suits and Esther Ouwehand, with her starfish diadem, sat strategically diagonally in front of Caroline van der Plas’s handkerchief hat. Jesse Klaver kept his gaze up, as if he could already see the promised energy ceiling. For a moment, a better environment really seemed possible. Paint the golden carriage green and you’re done.
I imagined the king himself wearing Patagonia thermal leggings under his pinstripe trousers. Energy-efficient (because layers), fashion-conscious (because it fits the ‘gorpcore’ outdoor trend) with a nod to Yvon Chouinard. The 83-year-old founder of the outdoor clothing brand announced last week that all profits would be spent on climate improvement.
In his younger years, Chouinard was a mountaineer. He says he survived one summer on discounted cans of cat food and ground squirrels that he impaled on his ice axe. Out of guilt that his climbing equipment damaged rocks, he designed stone-friendly pegs. As early as 1972, he promoted a sustainable lifestyle: “It is the way of climbing, not reaching the top, that determines the degree of personal success.” A phrase that would not have been out of place in the Speech from the Throne.
Three cheers for the king, and then the coach left for the palace. Farmers’ booing was heard at the balcony scene, politicians shared their dissatisfaction on social media, the momentary sham solidarity from the theater was over.
Also in this, Prinsjesdag is just like Car Free Sunday. For a brief moment it seems to move, then everything is rock solid again.
Gemma Venhuizen is a biology editor at NRC and writes a column here every Wednesday.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of September 21, 2022