Popularity and Future of the Dutch Monarchy and Royal Family

[Duc_et_Pair]

Yes, see post above. The support for the hereditary monarchy and for a republic are almost the same with the UK:

NL
56% supports the hereditary monarchy as the current form state
24% thinks a republic is the preferred form of state

 

[An Ard Ri]

In line with a shrinking trust in institutions, the trust of the Dutch in Parliament has scored an all-time low. Only a shocking 21% of the Dutch has trust in the Parliament. Meaning 4 out of every 5 Dutch does not believe the achievement of Parliament is trustworthy and approved.

The statistics for the King which were published around King's Day 2023 show less trust compared to the start of his Reign but are incomparable with the alltime low of Parliament.

18% has little trust in the King
30% has neither little nor a lot of trust in the King
46% has a lot of trust in the King

Am I reading this correct and a 30% drop in 3 years for the king?

 

[Marengo]

The amount of people with 'a lot' of confidence in the King dropped 28 % indeed. But half of them went to the catagory of 'not a lot nor little confidence' (the grey bar). The amount of people with 'little confidence' in the king grew 14% as well. Considering the high amount of spoiled and dissatisfied conspiracy lunatics in the country that number is not surprising.

It is a vague question anyway. I am not sure I would fill in having a 'lot' of confidence in him. Confidence in what exactly?

 

[An Ard Ri]

That's quite an alarming drop and almost 10% per year!

 

[Muhler]

Is anything happening in the Netherlands these years that could result in a general feeling of dissatisfaction of the "establishment"?

Political crisis?
A string of scandals?
Economic problems?
Social tensions?
A general pessimistic view on the future?
An unusual low rate when voting?
A clear feeling that the people, or a very large segment of the population doesn't feel represented? Or that their concerns are not addressed?

- My point is that unless the royals themselves do something stupid, a drop in public support usually follow a general pattern.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The king has a steady run of unfortunate incidents ,the ill judged Holiday to Greece during Covid Lockdown being one of the major Orange blunders .

I'm not too well versed with Dutch Politics but I guess its the same as here and trust in the establishment is on the wane (Church and State).

 

[Somebody]

Is anything happening in the Netherlands these years that could result in a general feeling of dissatisfaction of the "establishment"?

Political crisis?
A string of scandals?
Economic problems?
Social tensions?
A general pessimistic view on the future?
An unusual low rate when voting?
A clear feeling that the people, or a very large segment of the population doesn't feel represented? Or that their concerns are not addressed?

- My point is that unless the royals themselves do something stupid, a drop in public support usually follow a general pattern.

Even though the people in the Netherlands are doing very well compared to the very large majority in other countries, there are definitely a lot of tensions. Covid brought that even more to the forefront.

There is a significant group of anti-vaxxers that now mixed with the (partly militant) farmers and far-right groups that tend to live in their own bubble. The last elections showed that these mostly right-wing populist parties received close to 1/3rd of the votes.

BBB (Farmers Civilians Movement - very new party with lots of agribusiness money): 18,4%
PVV (Party for Freedom - split of from VVD (liberal party) in 2004/2006): 5,9%
JA21 (Correct Answer 21 - split of in late 2020 from FvD): 4.5%
FvD (Forum for Democracy (they were marginalized compared to their huge win 4 years earlier)): 3,1%

The king has a steady run of unfortunate incidents ,the ill judged Holiday to Greece during Covid Lockdown being one of the major Orange blunders .

I'm not too well versed with Dutch Politics but I guess its the same as here and trust in the establishment is on the wane (Church and State).

Church isn't really seen as the establishment anymore. It's really all about a distrust of the government and the regular media (based on their own social media bubble).
For a long time, it was Geert Wilders (PVV) that represented the people that didn't feel represented and mainly blamed immigration for almost anything.
The leader of the FvD very much played into these sentiments by offering a more intellectual alternative (and was the main winner of the provincial elections 4 years ago) but got more and more extreme during the Covid period (the reason for JA21 to be formed: slightly less extreme) by denying basic facts and in his love for Russia as well as antisemitism.
Most recently, the need for nitrogen reduction to protect nature (Natura2000 areas) led to enormous unrest especially in rural areas (because of the measures it requires - and it doesn't help that the government is very fickle in its policies): the BBB jumped into this 'gap' and became the new main representative of those that feel unheard by 'the establishment in the Randstad' (the western more urbanized part of the country).

 

[Muhler]

A universal and indeed worrying trend.

 

[Marengo]

Thanks for the excellent sumamry, Somebody. In addition: this weekend D66 -progressive liberals- will have a congress. During the congress one of the motions that will be voted on is in the party should support a republic. D66 is currently a junior party in the coalition government. It is also a party that critisizes the monarchy and has done so for decades. Mostly because they think that 'our kind of people' (bon chic bon genre) is far too clever for such a thing.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Thanks for the excellent sumamry, Somebody. In addition: this weekend D66 -progressive liberals- will have a congress. During the congress one of the motions that will be voted on is in the party should support a republic. D66 is currently a junior party in the coalition government. It is also a party that critisizes the monarchy and has done so for decades. Mostly because they think that 'our kind of people' (bon chic bon genre) is far too clever for such a thing.

At the same time D66 have a high- and wellborn jonkvrouw Ollongren as Minister of Defence and Vice-Premier, they have Thom de Graaf as Vice-president of the Council of State ("the Viceroy") and one of their founders, Laurent-Jan Brinkhorst is a lifelong friend of Princess Beatrix and father of Princess Laurentien.

So anti-monarchist by word, royalist servitude by deed.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

That's quite an alarming drop and almost 10% per year!

Not so alarming and the question is quite vague: vertrouwen in Willem-Alexander, trust in the King? In what exactly? What does "trust" mean for a person with no political role? How does "trust" materialize into a guy living in Huis ten Bosch ?

The Prime Minister has an original look in it: "Grrrreat statistics not one politician scores higher than 20 %, myself included".

 

[Saragli]

Unfortunately a mistrust in public institutions was already brewing in many "first-world" nations around the world prior to Covid and then the pandemic just exacerbated it. These results are somewhat expected, however, they are still concerning. The King, and wider RF, are meant to be symbols for the nation needs at that time. The King, and the RF's recent missteps, suggest the King and RF don't seem to have their fingers on the pulse of what the nation needs from them.

The "vibe" that I get from this RF is that they would really like to be like the Greeks. A wealthy family, with royal titles, but no throne or obligations. The RF doesn't need to be "trusted" by the people per say, except to behave appropriately, but they do need to be loved and respected.

 

[Somebody]

Unfortunately a mistrust in public institutions was already brewing in many "first-world" nations around the world prior to Covid and then the pandemic just exacerbated it. These results are somewhat expected, however, they are still concerning. The King, and wider RF, are meant to be symbols for the nation needs at that time. The King, and the RF's recent missteps, suggest the King and RF don't seem to have their fingers on the pulse of what the nation needs from them.

The "vibe" that I get from this RF is that they would really like to be like the Greeks. A wealthy family, with royal titles, but no throne or obligations. The RF doesn't need to be "trusted" by the people per say, except to behave appropriately, but they do need to be loved and respected.

That's not a vibe I get from them at all. I don't think there is any other spouse of a monarch with such a prominent role as queen Máxima has within the UN - and Willem-Alexander previously had with the UN before he ascended the throne. In addition, Amalia shows herself to be very thoughtful and willing to take on the burden of being the future queen (I'd say those that really know what they are taking on also understand that it is not just a life of privilege but also a duty and in some ways a burden to dedicate your life to your country - something you didn't really have a say in but will have to come to terms with).

That doesn't mean that they also do enjoy the benefits of their lifestyles but what motivates them is their 'soft power' of bringing people together and in that way bring about change - so, very much what they are able to do in their current roles.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Not so alarming and the question is quite vague: vertrouwen in Willem-Alexander, trust in the King? In what exactly? What does "trust" mean for a person with no political role? How does "trust" materialize into a guy living in Huis ten Bosch ?

The Prime Minister has an original look in it: "Grrrreat statistics not one politician scores higher than 20 %, myself included".

Was the king not the 'same guy' living in Huis ten Bosch when he scored 76% in 2020 ?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Unfortunately a mistrust in public institutions was already brewing in many "first-world" nations around the world prior to Covid and then the pandemic just exacerbated it. These results are somewhat expected, however, they are still concerning. The King, and wider RF, are meant to be symbols for the nation needs at that time. The King, and the RF's recent missteps, suggest the King and RF don't seem to have their fingers on the pulse of what the nation needs from them.

The "vibe" that I get from this RF is that they would really like to be like the Greeks. A wealthy family, with royal titles, but no throne or obligations. The RF doesn't need to be "trusted" by the people per say, except to behave appropriately, but they do need to be loved and respected.

The King, Queen Máxima and Princess Catharina-Amalia have no any urge to become a Greek RF. Come on. The unbelievable and enthusiastic masses in a quite urban and usually indifferent city as Rotterdam to see the visit of the birthday-boy King, two weeks ago, show that a republic is still far away.

 

[Saragli]

I am simply stating that is the vibe I get from them as a casual observer and I take most Dutch are casual observers of the royal family as well. I used to be really big fans of them as well but even I have lost some interest and "trust" in them as well. The PoO is promising, she has potential for gravitas, but she is still quite insecure.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Was the king not the 'same guy' living in Huis ten Bosch when he scored 76% in 2020 ?

Still that does not substantize what "trust in him" means. Before 2020 Parliament scored over 50% in trust and now only 21% of the Dutchmen think Parliament is trustworthy and worth acclaim...

At the same time the Dutch GDP (1,1 trillion) s hard on its way to bypass Spain (1, 4 trillion) because of a far higher growth curve. This while Spain is 12 times the size of the Netherlands and 3 times the population of the Netherlands, the wealth and prosperity in Willem-Alexander's kingdom is immense.

Every poll shows the same: the Dutch are very satisfied with their own life and belong to the happiest people of the Earth. At the same time the Dutch are very dissatisfied in society and its institutions as a whole.

It is the effect of making hard choices in an overcrowded country where anyone still wants to grow fast, has to work longer, but at the same time keep nature, agriculture and industry intact while the demand for houses, infrastructure, energy transition, climate neutrality is felt as strangling the freedom, the happiness and the entrepreneurship which is in Dutch DNA.

All this leads to dissatisfaction as a whole in the State. And who embodies the State, has his face on all post stamps and coins, his portait in all State buildings and in whose name Justice is spoken and are all taxes revenued and assents laws for that unpopular State? Rrrrrright..... There is the answer....

It would be strange if the head of state is immune for the deep dive in trust, respect and acclaim for the same State he embodies.

 

[victor1319]

In my humble opinion the Dutch Royal Family is part of the party and holiday culture of the Netherlands: They love all with the Royal color orange and the plastic crowns and the free days.

The Netherlands without the Royal Family would be like Christmas without a christmas tree...

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

In my humble opinion the Dutch Royal Family is part of the party and holiday culture of the Netherlands: They love all with the Royal color orange and the plastic crowns and the free days.

The Netherlands without the Royal Family would be like Christmas without a christmas tree...

Does that not count for all popular monarchies? We have seen street parties all over the UK for the Coronation.

 

[ronald biver]

Iam a Dutch monarchist, look at some of the republics around the world, Russia, China, Nth Korea to name a few, oppressive, specially president Putin's war with Ukraine, China try to take Taiwan etc etc, give me a kingdom anytime, long live the House of Orange Nassau.

 

[victor1319]

Does that not count for all popular monarchies? We have seen street parties all over the UK for the Coronation.

Yeah, you are right! To connect the Monarchie with the national festivities, to weave the Royal symbols into it, seems to be a good recipe to conserve Royalty.

Royalty means holiday... ?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

When the party Democraten 66, known as D66, was established in 1966, they wanted the Dutch people to have the chance to speak itself out about the desired form of state.

Slowly this evolued to a position in which D66 "tolerated" the monarchy as long as it is a strictly ceremonial function. That the King is president of the Council of State, that he appoints and dismisses ministers, judges, mayors, governors, military, that he assents and promulgates laws and decrees, that he has audiences with ministers and authorities: away with it! But for the rest he could be "tolerated" as a sort of historic anomaly.

Now the youngsters of D66 have requested their party conference to embrace the idea of a republic. In their opinion King Willem-Aleander should be William The Last. On today's party conference members shouted "Free Amalia!" meaning that she is a prisoner in a golden cage and should be freed.

Anyway, the proposal that D66 should go for a republic has -narrowly- missed the majority of the party conference votes and thus has been rejected. This means that D66 (progressive liberals) now in coalition with Prime Minister Mark Rutte from the VVD (conservative liberals) will not have the republic in their party manifesto.

 

[W.Y.CII]

Iam a Dutch monarchist, look at some of the republics around the world, Russia, China, Nth Korea to name a few, oppressive, specially president Putin's war with Ukraine, China try to take Taiwan etc etc, give me a kingdom anytime, long live the House of Orange Nassau.

Interesting thing is, some of the republics you mentioned, practically aren't really a republic, just saying that.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Were the figures for the annual poll released yet?

 

[Sister Morphine]

Iam a Dutch monarchist, look at some of the republics around the world, Russia, China, Nth Korea to name a few, oppressive, specially president Putin's war with Ukraine, China try to take Taiwan etc etc, give me a kingdom anytime, long live the House of Orange Nassau.

Yeah, umm, China and North Korea aren't republics. They're totalitarian states, and North Korea especially is a cult of personality. Russia is inching closer to the USSR every day.

East Germany was once called a "democratic republic" and it was neither.

 

[Somebody]

There are various definitions of a republic but typically include the people being represented by elected official and not having a monarch (but mostly a president) as head of state. It seems Russia and China meet those definitions even though the way the people are represented in practice (not always in theory) is very different from other republics.

 

[Somebody]

Were the figures for the annual poll released yet?

It was hard to find (so, not widely reported in the Dutch media) but I found some statistics by EenVandaag (Vertrouwen in koningshuis blijft laag, meningen verdeeld over politieke uitspraken van de koning) released ahead of King's day.

Asked about the king speaking out on sensitive issues such as the nitrogen crisis, Ukraine and gender was good or bad, the responses were as follows:
42% good
40% bad

53% agreed that it shows the king's commitment to society when he discusses 'hot topics'. By looking for nuance, he can play a role a binding the society together in a climate of polarization. However, 58% also considered it preferable if he remained neutral on political issues - preferably by not discussing them and if he discusses them, he should remain neutral.

They were also asked about specific statements the king made. Below the level of agreement (as in: it was fine for the king to make this statement):
Nitrogen crisis: 59%
Support for Ukraine: 58%
Gender equality: 42%

How did the king's statements influence their opinion about the king?
Positively: 33%
No change: 35%
Negatively: 25%

Asked whether the king could play a role in the government formation (as his mother did previously until 2010):
44% pro involvement
Especially the VVD (liberal party of current PM) voters (58%) and BBB (farmers' party) 61% support his involvement. Voters of PVV (right-wing populist party of Geert Wilders: 37%) and NSC (new party by a former christian democrat: 43%) are convinced about his added value.

Regarding the preferred form of government:
Monarchy: 52%
Republic: 37% (and if so, preferably the German version; not the one in which lots of power is vested in the president - like an 'elected king' with the powers from the past)

Trust in king and queen:
King: 53%
Queen: 55%
Princess of Orange: 47% (they also had the option to say 'too soon to form an opinion' - 21% picked that option - those in general had a positive impression of Amalia: "sweet and serious")

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Thanks for the very informative post.

I apologize if I missed an earlier post, but what did the King say about the nitrogen crisis, Ukraine and gender?

 

[Somebody]

Thanks for the very informative post.

I apologize if I missed an earlier post, but what did the King say about the nitrogen crisis, Ukraine and gender?

Unfortunately, they didn't include the specific statements that were shared with the respondents. It seems they were pulled from various speeches... probably including his Christmas speech and the press interviews at photo calls.

On the nitrogen crisis he commented at the photo call in June 2022:
"The nitrogen crisis that leads to farmers who have no prospects at all at the moment. They must be given perspective, even if they have to do something else at some point.

We speak a lot with farmers. I really hold farmers close to my heart. It is a very important part of our country. The cultural heritage of the countryside is carried by the farmers. They are a very important part of the history of the Netherlands and hopefully also of the future of the Netherlands.

The farmers also know that we sympathize with them very much, but we have a nitrogen crisis and we have to solve it together somehow. Again, as long as there is perspective, and perspective must be given for their future."

For example, Ukraine was mentioned in his Christmas speech in 2022 (as well as shortly in 2023):
"Sometimes it can help to look outward and learn from the example of others. Like the Ukrainian people who have been standing up against Russia's brutal violence for ten months now, with incredible courage and unity. The promise of Christmas – the hope of peace – lives in all Ukrainian hearts and in ours."

And more recently, the king opened the conference "Restoring Justice for Ukraine". Among others he said:
"The Russian war in Ukraine is a shame. It is an attack on everything we hold dear. By attending this conference you are sending a message of hope to the people of Ukraine. (...) It is unacceptable that perpetrators of international crimes should avoid punishment. Those responsible for crimes against Ukraine and its people must be held accountable. (...) We will stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary. Our aim is to restore justice. Our goal is to bring peace to Ukraine. Together we stand strong."

I cannot find much on gender. During the state visit to Slovakia (which took place during International Women's Day last year) the king said something along the lines of for thousands of years men have been making a mess and the modern community needs all its unique talents to flourish. Furthermore, he called diversity 'a strength, not a weakness'.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Thank you! I assume his remarks reflected government consensus.