The Dutch style of government: good for dykes, bad for covid

THE DUTCHDD are not used to being ranked among the worst in Europe. But that is where they stand in covid booster vaccinations: 4.1% of the population have had an extra jab, just behind Romania at 5%. They started on November 18th, months after other countries. “It is impossible to explain,” says Roel Coutinho, a former head of the national outbreak-management team. He blames the Dutch culture of governing via exhaustive negotiations and consensus—a system known as the “polder model”.Indeed, almost nine months after elections last March, the country has no new government. For months the ruling centre-right Liberal party locked horns with one of its junior partners, the centre-left 66 party, which wanted more leftist outfits in the coalition. 66 backed down, but an agreement is only now nearing completion.