Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte acknowledged that the booster campaign in the Netherlands could have started earlier and the coronavirus measures taken by the cabinet in November were not enough to curb infections.
With the Netherlands in its second winter lockdown, the confidence of citizens in the Dutch government and its coronavirus policies has plummeted. 🎢
No faith from the public
In his yearly Christmas interview with De Telegraaf, Rutte reflected on why public confidence is so low — people are simply done living with the coronavirus limitations. But he also confesses to making mistakes in communication.
According to Rutte, he and the government have placed too much emphasis on the responsibility of the public and not enough on mandatory measures.
“I have not been able to sufficiently convince people of basic measures.” Hence why we still see people not wearing masks or properly social distancing. 🙄
The longest cabinet formation in history
Rutte also discusses the formation after the Dutch elections this year which took 271 days — too long for his liking.
And why? There are many reasons — but surprisingly, one was the Dutch King. Rutte tells the newspaper that he didn’t like that King Willem-Alexander was removed from the formation process.
Of course, adding a king into the mix isn’t a solution in itself but according to Rutte, it would have certainly helped speed things up. 💨
A turbulent term
From coronavirus policies, cabinet formations, and the childcare allowance scandal, Dutchies haven’t had the most certainty with Rutte’s government. So here’s to hoping things are a little less chaotic in the new year.
What do you think about Mark Rutte’s interview? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Feature Image: Ale_Mi/Depositphotos
