Dutch Parties Prioritize limiting Migration Over social Cohesion, Planning Agency finds
The Hague -โข A new analysis by โฃthe Netherlands Institute for Socialโ Research (SCP) reveals that Dutch political parties โareโ heavilyโ focused on restricting migration, while largely โneglecting detailed plans for fostering social cohesion in an already diverse society. The SCP assessed the election manifestos of ten parties – BBB,โ CDA, D66, GroenLinks-PvdA, โJA21, NSC, Party for the Animals, PVV, SP and VVDโค – based on their representationโ inโ the House of Representatives or prominence in the Peilingwijzer polling dataโ as of โคAugustโฃ 31, 2025.
The report highlights โa disconnectโฃ between public โconcern regarding social interaction in a diverseโค Netherlands and the โขattention given to this issue by the parties. “The diverse society requires investments inโ good coexistence and to combat polarization,” stated SCP director Karen van Oudenhoven, urging parties to address “how we want to live together in โขa diverse society, while also paying attention to the interests of people from minority groups.” Van Oudenhoven emphasized that diversity is a โcurrent reality, stating, “Even if we โclose the borders, that is still โขtheโข case.”
while all โฃten parties express support for greater social โcohesion, โtheir approaches differ. PVV, JA21, and VVD prioritize โขDutch culture, whileโค SP, groenlinks-PvdA, and the Party for the Animals emphasize solidarity. CDA, BBB, and NSC focus on local communities, and D66 centers on โคindividual rights and freedoms. Despite theseโ differing approaches, โฃall parties acknowledge the importance of good neighborly relations, communityโ gatherings, and proficiency in the dutchโ language.
The SCP also noted aโค lack of planning forโ societal preparedness for crisesโค – such as war, power outages, or natural disasters – despite significant attention given to these potential eventsโ in party manifestos. the agency advocates for investment in social infrastructure like community centers, libraries, andโ welfare programs to bolster solidarityโฃ andโข support during โฃemergencies, referencing lessons learned during โขthe COVID-19 pandemic.
Echoing โa previous assessment from the โข2023 elections, the SCPโ cautioned parties against overpromising and avoiding difficult choices,โ warning that this โerodes public trust โคin politics.