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Dutch identity based on core values of Dutch law

Press release | 19-08-2008

The core values of Dutch law are the basis for identification with the Netherlands, according to a letter that Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin and Housing Minister Ella Vogelaar submitted to the Lower House of Parliament on behalf of the Cabinet.

The letter is in response to a report on the sense of identification with the Netherlands published by the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR).

The Cabinet is of the opinion that it is up to the government to support a society in which people are invited to participate, partly by creating a safe living and working environment and sufficient opportunities concerning education and employment. Citizens have the responsibility to actually participate and show their commitment to the Dutch society. 

The Cabinet wants to convey a message about identity that does not exclude anyone and leaves room for people to identify with the Netherlands in their own specific way within the limits of the law.

The government must secure the freedoms, rights and obligations belonging to the democratic rule of law when these are being eroded. Responsible citizenship will allow all Dutch people to create a common identity based on what binds them together while allowing room for diversity.

According to the Cabinet, the principal tasks of the government are the promotion of freedom, respect and tolerance. Ensure that people feel connected to the Netherlands through citizenship is another important task. The civic integration policy is part of this effort, but, according to the Cabinet, "active participation in Dutch society is a task for all citizens".

The Cabinet is of the opinion that family, education and sports are the places where the foundation is laid for feeling connected to society. Parenting support, tackling early school leaving and fighting segregation in the educational system are therefore important political instruments to promote this sense of connection.

Employment, having a paid job, also helps enormously in feeling connected. For this reason, the Cabinet is of the opinion that participation in the labour market is a key policy instrument.