What is it about?
This article critically assesses Dutch government politics in a number of major economic and societal crises in the past 50 years. It shows that in Dutch politics the principle of free enterprise is actively protected, even when the management of companies appears unable to operate effectively and major economic and social activities and responsibilities must be upheld by huge state support.
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Photo by KWON JUNHO on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The article challenges the dominant image of state intervention in the Dutch welfare state. It shows that with regard to major socio-economic activities the principle of private entrepreneurship was never challenged, even if it was put to the test in major crises and thoroughly investigated in parliamentary inquiries.
Perspectives
The article is part of a large publication that discusses the consequences of gas extraction in the Netherlands, one of the main issues in Dutch politics and society in the past two decades.
Dirk Jan Wolffram
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Closed Gas Building: Public and Private in Parliamentary Inquiries, March 2026, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004754676-009.
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