It is ‘serious money’: over the next thirty years, The Hague will pump 100 million euros annually into Groningen and North Drenthe. Former MP Henk Nijboer has a year to think about how the region can use that money to catch up socially behind the rest of the country. After three months of warming up, he will now go to the farm to collect ideas for this.
It took some time. On December 5, Henk Nijboer resigned as Member of Parliament after eleven years. A day later, the PvdA member took up his new position. As ‘quartermaster’ he must set out the lines for the Social Agenda that Groningen and North Drenthe must advance at the pace of the peoples.
Barely three months later, his project organization is ready to spread its wings. This month, Nijboer and co will tour the region to brainstorm with everyone with a good idea for a bright future of the region. “It can hardly be faster,” laughs the quartermaster in his office on the top floor of the Oosterpoort cultural center in Groningen (“We get to use it for free from the municipality, I really didn’t want an expensive office.”)
After the first hundred days, ready to spread its wings
Officially his first hundred days are over next Friday, but quite a few were lost around Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Yet everything is now ready to bring the mission into full swing. Most of the time recently has been spent setting up the eight-person project office: half civil servants from the region, the other half civil servants and ‘liaison officers’ from the four ministries involved in The Hague. And for the rest, the agenda was mainly filled with catch-up appointments. With municipalities, schools, libraries, in village halls: all parties that can play a role in the Social Agenda for Groningen and the province of Drenthe.
This Social Agenda should put an end to the traditional disadvantage of the region compared to the rest of the country, with an annual pot of 100 million euros. In thirty years, or within one generation, unemployment, education level, health and quality of life in the area must have been raised to at least the national average. At least that is the aim of Nij Begun, the support program for which The Hague is channeling a total of 7.5 billion northwards as a ‘debt of honour’ for sixty years of natural gas extraction and all the damage this has caused in the area, not only to the houses but also in the people.
Counterpart for Economic Agenda will take office soon
While the reinforcement of houses and buildings is still difficult to get started after years, Nijboer can sink his teeth into the Social Agenda that is part of the Nij Begun program. The appointment of a fellow quartermaster is soon expected to do the same, and with the same budget, for the regional economy. Nijboer has been appointed until December 31. When he retires, everything must be ready to achieve optimal returns from those billions in The Hague over the next thirty years.
To this end, he will be in ‘listening mode’ for a while in the near future, starting with four ‘brainstorming’ sessions for which he will travel through the region this month. He hopes to collect as many ideas as possible to develop the four main themes that he has been given in his assignment: improving the (mental) health of the residents, equal opportunities for a prosperous future for all children born here, the combating above-average poverty and improving the quality of life.
‘If you do it right, you break through problems that have existed for generations’
“These are all themes that are very close to my heart personally and for which I have always been committed as a Member of Parliament,” Nijboer explains why he only had to think briefly when he was asked for his new position. He is hopeful for his native Groningen: “We have a unique opportunity to do really well now. That 100 million is really serious money. If you spend it well, you can break through problems that have been going on here for generations. As a born and raised Ten Boerster, I think it is wonderful to be able to contribute to this.”
In April, the quartermaster wants to have the first draft goals on paper for ‘his’ Social Agenda. He then heads back into the area to further grind them so that a real course plan can be determined before the summer holidays. In the second half of the year he will continue to visit everything and everyone who could play a role in the implementation in the coming decades. “For such a Social Agenda to have a chance of success, there must be support among the people who have to implement it. What do people and institutions in the middle of the area think is really necessary? I want to hear that from them in the near future.”
But there is another reason to talk, talk and talk some more. Because, small profit warning: “Even with that 100 million we will not clear all the backlogs. Health here is twelve years behind the national average. Poverty is passed on from generation to generation in many families. You can’t just brush that off with a bag of money. I don’t want to make false promises. We will have to make choices anyway. Let’s see where we can really make a difference, together with the people who know what the problem is.”
‘Thirty years of support breaks with harmful project carousel’
What makes a big difference is that the area is now assured of support from The Hague for thirty years. “That is unique, it doesn’t happen anywhere else in the country. Funding is always an issue in efforts to move this region forward. Many great initiatives are being set up here, but it is always temporary. We go from one project to another. After about three or four years it stops again and new money has to be found for a sequel. That takes time and energy that does not go to the problems. This project carousel is very harmful on all fronts. We can now do that differently.”
And there is a lot of work to be done, he saw again during his tour in recent months, if he did not already know this from his working visits as a Member of Parliament. “There are major problems, especially among the youth. Educational results remain far behind the national average, and mental health has also deteriorated worryingly in recent years. Of course because of the stress at home about the earthquakes, but corona also had a major impact. I want to involve as many young people as possible in this process, I want to hear from them what they think is necessary. If you want to do better for the next generation, you have to start with the youth.”
Self-awareness must return: ‘Groningen pride has been hurt’
When will his mission be successful? “If we can set something in motion that we can see in five to ten years that it will really bring improvement. That we are happier, feel better. That we think: we are far from there yet, but we are moving in the right direction. The trend has reversed. That may sound pretentious, but that’s what it’s all about. And I hope that we will have more self-awareness again, say proudly. Of course, that doesn’t traditionally suit the people of Groningen, but it is there. You saw that in the television series The earth trembles and I also listen to that in my conversations. However, that pride has been seriously damaged in recent years. So, when is it a success? When we once again have a shared feeling of: we have something to be proud of here and we are all moving in the right direction.”
SECTION: What matters
What is this week all about?
Tonight, former MP Henk Nijboer will hold the first of four brainstorming sessions in his new position as ‘quartermaster’ for the Social Agenda for Groningen and North Drenthe. The PvdA member has been appointed for a year to make agreements with residents, municipalities and numerous other parties in the region about the 3.5 billion euros that The Hague will channel in this direction over the next thirty years to eliminate the traditional backlogs. working in the areas of health, education, labor market and quality of life. This capital injection is part of the broader Nij Begun program with which the government wants to put the region back on its feet after sixty years of natural gas extraction and all the damage that entails.
Where are we?
The kick-off is tonight in Hoogezand (in the Kielzog), followed later by Winschoten (March 14, De Klinker), Tolbert (March 18, De Postwagen) and Delfzijl (March 21, De Molenberg). All meetings start at 7:30 PM.
Why do I need to know this?
Because all ideas are welcome. Do you know exactly how the Hague ‘honor debt’ billions can eliminate social disadvantage, or do you just want to know more about the Social Agenda, then come to one of the four evenings. Nijboer will use the proceeds to continue working on the major action plan that he must have ready in December.
Where else is this happening?
The Hague’s debt of honor not only flows to the immediate earthquake area, but should also give the surrounding region new opportunities for the future. All ten Groningen municipalities participate plus the three North Drenthe municipalities, even if no natural gas is available or is being extracted.