Resistance, your government doesn’t like that. Something is decided, which is called democratic and then you have to swallow. Only once do we get to see how that works behind the scenes. Surprisingly, thanks to the Allowances Affair. Prime Minister Mark Rutte had to go through the pump a bit because of the shocking conclusions of the parliamentary committee that investigated the Allowances issue. The state had shown itself so extremely persistent in attacking its own citizens that Rutte had to partially give up the Rutte doctrine named after him. In the future, documents with the views of civil servants will also be submitted to the House of Representatives.
‘The small brewers employ several thousand people, including people who would not easily find a job elsewhere’
For example, D66 State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief – he is responsible for taxes – wants to review the excise duties on specialty beer. Roughly formulated, specialty beer is any beer that is not a lager as traditionally marketed by Heineken, Grolsch and Bavaria. Specialty beer often has more taste, a different production method, often contains (a bit) more alcohol and often comes from small breweries. In fact, the 8,900 small Dutch brewers that have typically only emerged in recent decades specialize in specialty beer. This does not mean that they have a monopoly: the large brewers have also discovered this growth market and now have their own specialty beers.
The success of the small brewers is also a success for the many Dutch people who like to have something to choose from: not only the standard range of the market leaders, but also other flavours, other methods, other ingredients and, if desired, from their own region. You don’t have to be a beer drinker to see the rise of the small brewers with their special beers as an enrichment for the Netherlands. Moreover, it is a victory for entrepreneurship. Plus a blessing for employment: the small brewers employ several thousand people, including people who would not easily find a job elsewhere.
But the officials of State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief do not have much use for that, according to the documents that the House of Representatives – and therefore you and I – first did not get to see thanks to the curtailment of the Rutte Doctrine and now they are.
‘There is reason to fear a serious blow to the thriving small brewing world’
Vijlbrief, or his officials, want to increase the excise duties on specialty beer by increasing the excise rate with the alcohol percentage. In addition, they want to abolish a discount that gave small brewers a helping hand. Both schemes supported in so many words the craftsmanship and multi-colouredness and the small entrepreneurship of the small brewers.
But Vijlbrief and his officials are no longer interested in that. They prefer to straighten out the rates and believe that this is also in line with government policy, such as the Prevention Agreement of ChristenUnie State Secretary Paul Blokhuis, a recognized fighter against all foods and stimulants that are known as addictive or fattening.
To cut a long story short: I am naturally concerned in this matter with the small brewers, who have to deal with an increase in excise duty of a quarter or so (the big ones, by the way, as well, when it comes to their specialty beers), which means that their continued existence comes under pressure. There is reason to fear a serious blow to the thriving small brewing world.
But in this story I am mainly concerned with a few words in the ‘decision memorandum’ that State Secretary Hans Vijlbrief received from his officials, in which the proposed change in beer excise duties is advocated. That piece states the following:
‘The proposal to abolish the reduced rate for small breweries may lead to resistance, but this concerns a small group (without a strong lobby) and moreover … etc.’
It’s all readable then look under ‘decision point 6’.
So that’s what it’s about. The excise plan that the officials presented to Vijlbrief – and which he embraced – may possibly lead to ‘resistance’, but the State Secretary did not have to worry about that, because the small brewers were few and they did not have a strong lobby either. .
Formulated in another way: resistance can easily be ignored, because there are only a few and they don’t have money either [want iedereen weet dat een sterke lobby één op één gelijk op gaat met het hebben van een groot lobbybudget – vandaar ook dat het MKB het altijd aflegt tegen de grote bedrijven van VNO-NCW].
It somewhat resembles what happened to the lesser noblemen who, in 1566, came to present their ‘Smeekschrift der Nobles’ in Brussels to the regent Margaret of Parma. Her top civil servant Charles de Berlaymont made it clear to the governor that she need not be impressed by the petitioners: ‘Do not be afraid Madam, these are just beggars.’ She needn’t be afraid, they were just beggars. Just three days later, the swear word gueux had already become a badge of honor.
‘If you don’t know the way, if you don’t have the money to pay people who do know the way, know the code language and have the right connections – then you don’t stand a chance’
The fact that this slip of Vijlbrief’s officials came out does not mean, of course, that it is an exception, that the ministries in The Hague look down on people who are either not numerous, or who are not powerful, or who do not have much money (or who all at the same time).
The Allowances Affair has already abundantly shown that those who do not belong to the privileged group of insiders can be mercilessly eaten by the state that is supposed to protect them pre-eminently. But that’s also how it works if you want to gain access to power, to the laws and the rules.
If you don’t know the way, if you don’t have the money to pay people who do know the way, know the code language and have the right connections – then you have no chance. Conversely, the same applies: whoever has the money can find a way to power.
We know the mechanism of the banks that write their own laws, of energy companies that write their own Climate Agreement and of multinationals that in the twilight of the back room allot themselves a benefit of two billion in abolished dividend tax (although the latter does not succeed in the end). .
The bad news is that the Netherlands is admittedly much more corrupt than we would like to know and that the small man and the small citizen in particular suffer from this. I recently wrote and filmed about it.
It is also typical that the National Ombudsman has been complaining for years that when he reports to ministries in The Hague, the ministers and officials always become uncomfortable when he stands up for the citizens of the country. Well then, ‘citizens’ – they say. They hate that notion: ‘Shouldn’t we call them consumers, or customers?’ Words have their meaning, and that is also the case here. Citizens have not only obligations, but also rights. Many rights even, and are constitutionally enshrined.
The good news is twofold. A group of informers is busy, who have been tasked with forming an entirely new cabinet with the same coalition, with a new administrative culture. Well, I would say: start by abolishing the corrupt lobbycracy, as has been advocated for years from outside the Netherlands. Informer Johan Remkes himself was chairman of the state committee that was seriously concerned about Dutch democracy, so he needs no encouragement.
Many will experience the second good news as a small beer, but it is not. Last week it was announced that Scherpenzeel and Barneveld will remain independent municipalities. Little Scherpenzeel had passionately resisted: not only the inhabitants, but also the mayor and aldermen.
You rarely, if ever, hear that such a merger that no one wants is still called off. Usually this is simply pushed through, from the offices of the province and from The Hague ministries. This time it was precisely D66 minister Kajsa Ollongren – not exactly a promoter of the bottom-up – who took the plunge and put the citizens of Scherpenzeel in the right. There is still hope.
This column previously appeared on Wynia’s Week. Your support makes Wynia’s Week possible. You can HERE become a donor. Thank you!
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