Limburgers who feel that their complaint about integrity violations by the Province of Limburg has not been handled properly, must report again. Governor Emile Roemer makes that call in a conversation with L1.
Roemer promises to personally look into the complaint. “If people still feel that their report has not been viewed sufficiently, report again via the provincial hotline.† Then they come to me. I will then see whether it has been dealt with correctly, or has that been insufficient,” said the King’s Commissioner.
A spokesman for the governor says that the province will look at how these people can report again in the coming days. “We want to do that carefully, we don’t want to do that our regular hotline of integrity matters. Anyway, we’ll communicate that later.”
286 notifications
Roemer became last week summoned by the Limburg Parliament to properly handle reports of possible breaches of integrity. The committee that investigated Limburg’s administrative culture had received 286 reports from 144 different people. Because the Province of Limburg itself did not receive these complaints, the Provincial Council wanted Roemer to contact the committee to actively approach the reporters.
“I did that, but I have not yet received an answer from the committee,” says Roemer on Thursday. “It is also not easy, because those people have made their report in confidence. If it is not possible to actively approach people through the committee, I hope that people will report to me. That is not so difficult.”
Low voter turnout
The report ‘Angels Do Not Exist’ by the Visser Committee was one of four evaluations that were published on various matters relating to integrity and administrative culture. Roemer sees a relationship between the low turnout in municipal elections and the lack of confidence that citizens currently have in politics. In Limburg, 48.8 percent of voters voted, a historic low.
The elections for the Provincial Council will follow within a year in March 2023. “I think it is a great pity that so many people do not have the confidence to vote. It is not only up to me, but to all politicians. many people have stayed at home. Look what is happening on the other side of Europe, there you see what it is like to live in a country where they don’t know democracy like we have.”
take problems seriously
“People have to get the feeling that something is happening with their vote. That problems are taken seriously. That people have the idea that it makes sense to vote. If people have had a problem for years, I don’t get anywhere with sweet talk. I find it very difficult to tell people in the allowance affair that they should have faith in the government. People who only gain that trust when they see that their problem is taken seriously. Perhaps the problem will not be solved, but steps are being taken. Say that to young people who have been on a waiting list for a rental home for eight years, say that to people who still have a bit of month left at the end of their salary, and who are now seeing a more expensive gas bill. on sweet talk, not even from me. They are waiting for solutions.”
Also read: Limburg Parliament wants rapid improvement of administrative culture
Sharing information
The various reports also focused on the relationship between the Provincial Executive and the representatives of the Provincial Council. The three-headed Visser committee wrote earlier that they received many reports of a political culture of playing catch-up, catching flies, disparaging remarks and insufficient information. Although the report Angels Do Not Exist mainly seeks the cause for this in the inexperience of the members of parliament, the influence of the media, the extra-parliamentary form of government and the corona complications, provincial councils also want to be better informed about the considerations in decisions by GS. “I think that the cooperation between the experts in our civil service can be improved”, says Emile Roemer. “There is a world to be won by ensuring that Provincial Councils can do their job as representatives of the people. That also has to do with mutual trust. Don’t be afraid if information has to be requested.”