‘Let politics be the focus at the State Opening of Parliament’
A big performance by André Rieu, food trucks in The Hague and more contact with the Royal Family: grand plans were announced in April to make the State Opening of Parliament (Prinsjesdag) a real ‘crowd puller’. For this year, however, we will just have to make do with slight differences in emphasis. Which is fortunate, in the view of Prof. Henk te Velde.
‘If you turn the State Opening of Parliament into some kind of Orange festival, you’re putting the cart before the horse,’ says Te Velde. 'The third Tuesday in September is a celebration of parliamentary representation, possibly of the cabinet, but not of the king. He reads the Speech from the Throne as a member of the government. His presence adds prestige to the day, of course, but it’s not actually his party.'
The idea of using the State Opening of Parliament as an opportunity to create more contact between the Royal Family and the people is therefore not enthusiastically received by Te Velde: ‘You’d then be focusing on the wrong aspects. The State Opening of Parliament is an important occasion in politics: the year is opened, the plans are announced. The emphasis should be on that celebration of democracy.'
‘Start debating immediately’
If changes really have to be made, Te Velde would like to see a smaller interval between the State Opening of Parliament and the Parliamentary Debate on the Speech from the Throne (Algemene Beschouwingen). ‘Everyone should go quickly from the Ridderzaal (Knights’ Hall), possibly having changed their attire, to the Chamber to start the debate immediately. Then you’d no longer have the king one day and politics the next, but rather the two elements would be combined.'
He's not worried that this will make the day ‘too difficult’ for many Dutch people. 'People aren’t only interested in bells and whistles. The institutional side of politics attracts them too. I realised that when I was involved in organising 200 years of the Constitution. At that time, people could visit all kinds of buildings that had something to do with the commemoration. It was incredibly popular.'
Serious celebration
From the wide range of plans, a tour of the Upper House and more places for high school students therefore meet with Te Velde's approval. And OK, the food truck for hungry tour visitors is also acceptable. ‘It can be a celebration, as long as it’s a serious celebration. It's fine to give people access to politics in a light-hearted and inventive way, as long as it doesn't turn into a carnival. If you get André Rieu to give a concert, the occasion has already become trivial. Nobody knows what you’re celebrating anymore.'