This is apparent from research that Minister Bruins Slot (Internal Affairs) sent to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. It concerns threats or intimidation of politicians outside political The Hague, such as mayors, water board administrators and members of parliament.
“These worrying figures show that our mayors, councilors, members of parliament and civil servants are increasingly confronted with threats, aggression and violence,” says Bruins Slot. “That is unacceptable.” The research shows that there has been a sharp increase in the last two years, both in less serious and serious incidents. Remarkably enough, in percentage terms, declarations are made less often. According to researchers, the reporting percentage is falling: from 13 percent in 2014 to 7 percent in 2022. Mayors in particular are under fire, 77 percent have been confronted with aggression or violence.
The research shows that almost all forms of aggression, intimidation and violence have increased. More than four in ten political office holders had to deal with verbal aggression, compared to a quarter in 2016. This could involve yelling or swearing. In most cases (69 percent) this happened online.
Nearly a quarter were confronted with some form of threat or intimidation in the past year, also a clear increase compared to 2016. According to researchers, this concerns a concrete statement to do something about someone – or their loved ones. Three percent of political office holders experienced physical violence, such as pushing, kicking or spitting.
Almost half experience negative consequences of an incident, for example in the form of less job satisfaction. Almost a quarter say that they have adjusted their own behavior on social media as a result of aggression, for example by posting fewer messages or looking less on certain platforms.
A third of civil servants also had to deal with aggression or violence in the past year. The percentage of incidents reported by civil servants has fallen from 13 percent in 2016 to 5 percent in 2022. Often no report is made because officials think it is part of the job. Like her predecessor, the minister hopes to be able to do something about the problem with a support team.
During the survey, regional and local politicians were also asked whether they had seen or suspected dishonest behavior among colleagues in the past year. The number of office holders who have reported such suspicions has increased, especially when it comes to matters such as conflicts of interest or voting on matters of personal interest. In the meantime, 40 percent suspected a conflict of interest with a colleague last year, and 37 percent voted in favor of a personal interest.