The Netherlands in a Fragmenting World Order
The time is past when the Netherlands could benefit from favourable international relations. There will be more frequent tensions between issues that have traditionally been essential for the country. These core Dutch interests are summarised in this report using the framework of what in Dutch are referred to by their initial letters as ‘the three Ws’: security, prosperity, and values.
In this report, the WRR analyses the main geopolitical shifts along three axes of fragmentation: power centers, arenas where power is exercised, and worldviews. Based on the 3Ws framework, the Council explains why these shifts have profound consequences for the Netherlands. International relations have become more complex, turbulent and fraught, compelling the country to make far-reaching and sometimes painful choices in pursuing its core interests. This is not limited to foreign policy in the traditional sense but spans a wide range of policy domains and domestic social relations.
The Scientific Council for Government Policy has three core recommendations:
- Make the Netherlands more geopolitically robust
- Recalibrate the Netherlands’ engagement in multilateral cooperation
- Mobilise and work with the whole of society