The panelists Marnix van Rij, Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the International Monetary Fund and Stan Veuger, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute reflected on the new government’s challenges, including its lack of parliamentary majorities. Plans to boost defense spending and introduce stricter asylum rules have already sparked cross‑party criticism. Marnix van Rij stressed that the role of the state must remain competent, humane, and protective, especially in turbulent times. While the recent setback for populist parties in the Netherlands suggests an ebb in their influence, participants agreed that populism will not disappear. Instead, middle‑ground parties bear a renewed responsibility to lead with integrity and pragmatism.
Topics
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.