Silverpot
Aristocracy
- Joined
- May 17, 2020
- Messages
- 183
- City
- Stockholm
- Country
- Sweden
I agree. I, for example, would prefer Portugal to be a monarchy for these reasons. The monarchy is a better regime.
Yes, it's more stable, I feel.
I agree. I, for example, would prefer Portugal to be a monarchy for these reasons. The monarchy is a better regime.
https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/pane...ieuw-dieptepunt-ze-leren-niet-van-hun-fouten/
Confidence in Willem-Alexander and Máxima at a new low: 'They don't learn from their mistakes'
Confidence in Willem-Alexander (54 percent) and Máxima (61 percent) is falling for the third year in a row. Both have never scored this low before. This is evident from the annual King's Day survey among more than 26,000 members of the EenVandaag Opinion Panel.
google translated
https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/pane...ieuw-dieptepunt-ze-leren-niet-van-hun-fouten/
Confidence in Willem-Alexander and Máxima at a new low: 'They don't learn from their mistakes'
Confidence in Willem-Alexander (54 percent) and Máxima (61 percent) is falling for the third year in a row. Both have never scored this low before. This is evident from the annual King's Day survey among more than 26,000 members of the EenVandaag Opinion Panel.
google translated
I assume that Amalia wasn't part of the poll despite now being an adult.
Yes over 80%.
But what is "confidence in WA", a person in a purely ceremonial function? And what is "confidence in Máxima", the wife of a person in a purely ceremonial function?
It is a bit an empty egg question. It would not surprise me in the least bit to see a republic coming. No revolutions, no guillotines, all in an orderly and prudent manner. But as in 1848 or in 1918: a tumbling throne always has a domino effect. A tumbling of the monarchy in the Netherlands will embolden the separatist and republican parties in Belgium (both already the two biggest parties over there).
The problem of the popularity of the Dutch monarchy is related to the behavior of King WA and Queen Maxima during the pandemic, and also the lack of visibility of their daughters, namely the heiress.
I think it's time for Princess Catharina Amalia to appear more often at official events, and to show interest in some subjects and subjects, she should follow the example of Leonor and Elisabeth.
The problem of the popularity of the Dutch monarchy is related to the behavior of King WA and Queen Maxima during the pandemic, and also the lack of visibility of their daughters, namely the heiress.
I think it's time for Princess Catharina Amalia to appear more often at official events, and to show interest in some subjects and subjects, she should follow the example of Leonor and Elisabeth.
In fairness to Catharina-Amalia, Leonor & Elisabeth (who I agree are model heirs to their respective thrones) have grown up knowing that their monarchies are not guaranteed, and have had years of seeing their respective families be criticized in the press.
Until Covid, the Dutch monarchy was considered one of the most secure monarchies in Europe. Catherina-Amalia wasn't raised in a pressure-cooker relationship with the press like other heirs were.
We know that CA is academically quite smart. I think in time she will be a strong heir.
Ultimately, it is up to the King to invite her to more public functions. I do agree she needs more visibility. I don't think it's entirely her decision on what events she does attend.
How did the king's mother poll?
Maybe I’m just not a person who panics easily, but I don’t think a few years of bad poll numbers and declining popularity spells the definitive end of the Dutch throne. To be frank, the King and Queen need better advisors who will be honest with them. And they need to heed that advice.
I do think visibility matters greatly for young heirs. People have a harder time actively taking down a monarchy when they genuinely like the person in charge. When I look at Sweden, I think Victoria is a great example of this.
It’s easy to answer an anonymous poll saying you don’t want something. It’s a lot of work calling for a referendum/amending a constitution. I think the Dutch royals could improve their numbers if they are willing to change tactics.
Queen Beatrix never "won" any poll. Always her mother, her husband, her daughter-in-law "out-polled" her.
That is indeed the crux of the problem. More specifically that their behaviour gives the impression "We work hard and are good in what we do and in turn we can do whatever we want in private and we don't care about what the public thinks." Quid pro quo.
It's an elitist attitude at best and he doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes. Sometimes W-A shows too much of Van Lippe-Biesterfeld in his actions.
What astonishes me personally is that neither Máxima nor Catharina-Amalia seem to think "perhaps this isn't the best idea" and convince their husband/father to change plans. Sometimes they seem like a Punch and Judy show.
I agree about Maxima and Catharina-Amalia but would add what worries me more is that never mind his family advising him it was a bad idea - did none of his advisors/staff, the PM or government tell him it was a bad idea? Either:
- they did and he didn't listen - which is not good on WA's part and suggests the monarchy may be in real trouble
- his advisors were too scared to tell him he was wrong - again see above
- or they didn't see an issue in the first place - in which case they aren't very good advisors and again the monarchy is in trouble
That is indeed the crux of the problem. More specifically that their behaviour gives the impression "We work hard and are good in what we do and in turn we can do whatever we want in private and we don't care about what the public thinks."
Yeah, one gets the impression, they think, they are doing a mere job - like they are freshly appointed state employees.
But Monarchy is a tiny bit different: more mythical and historically enriched and so they are not state servants but Royals!
Reiterating "downward trends" ad infinitum is not a license or an excuse for the King and apparently Queen to do whatever they want. Apparently-not caring sufficiently about public regulations or opinion is not going to make them more popular or shore up anything ebbing away.
"Giving a damn and not acting ridiculously entitled" is pretty much the low bar for modern monarchy these days.
I meant in 2022 not in the past.
I am not sure if things are all that dire. Young people tend to get old. Older people tend to get more conservative and sentimental. A simular gloomy prediction could have been made at various stages, most notably the 1970s. And yet the monarchy is still there.
In addition, if the choice is either a king or a president [insert name of any politician, one more unpopular than the next] I am sure that for now people will prefer the King.
The respondents indicated that the trust -whatever that is- has decreased due to the behavior of the King and Queen. Instead of leading by example they seemed to be focussing on stretching the rules as far as possible as to make sure teir priviledged lifestyle would not be endangered. Most others will have done the same in the country but from a monarch more is expected. In no other monarchy we have seen simular problems. It is all the more problematic as it underlines an image of jetsetters that, rightly or wrongly, has stuck to the couple since the Mozambique debacle.
As for the princesses: Apart from one or two royalty journalists I have never heard any Dutch person saying they need to be more visible, have their own agenda at this age or that they are spoiled brats - a narrative that on Anglo-Saxon and esp. Spanish-speaking online forums is popular.
People are happy that they were able to have a relatively normal childhood, that they seem to be 'typical teenagers' and that they are not robots who are forced in front of te cameras too often to increase te popularity ratings of the monarchy. Note that the Dutch way of raising children is very different from Southern Europe. Children are supposed to be more free to do what they want and develop their interests, they are supposed to be opinionated and parents encourage tem to form opinions, they are supposed to make mistakes and learn from them. Forcing them into a corset is very much against the way children are raised here since the 1960s.
That is precisely what it comes down to. Hence my remark of an elitist attitude.