Over the past weeks, the political crisis in the Netherlands has continued to get worse, and the ongoing storm of new incidents is making the path to forming a new government increasingly difficult. On this Poldercast, we take stock of the stor

#11 Dualism

Apr 22nd, 2021 32m 2s

After the negotiations to form a new government collapsed before they properly began, discussion mainly revolved around Mark Rutte and his future as the leader of the country. But the leaked memo also ignited a much broader debate on the relati

#10 Pieter Omtzigt, Position Elsewhere

Apr 4th, 2021 37m 8s

Pieter Omtzigt, Position Elsewhere. These four words, noted down in a leaked confidential memo, may very well bring an end to the political career of prime minister Mark Rutte. A relatively minor incident escalated and led the newly elected par

#09 Vote of Confidence

Mar 25th, 2021 37m 26s

Now the votes have been counted, the Poldercast digs into the results to take a closer look at what the outcome means for the Dutch political landscape. Facebook @thepoldercast / instagram @thepoldercast / twitter @thepoldercast

#08 Pre-Election Special

Mar 16th, 2021 46m 41s

Early voting has started, and the elections are almost here. On this week's Poldercast, we run through the twists and turns of the last few weeks, look ahead to the likely outcomes, and make some bold predictions on what will happen once the vo

#07 Minor Addition

Mar 11th, 2021 40m 37s

With the elections just around the corner, the Poldercast wraps up the remaining parties that currently sit in Parliament - DENK, Party for the Animals and 50PLUS - says goodbye to those are unlikely to return, and looks at some the more credib

#06 The West vs. the Rest

Mar 5th, 2021 44m 55s

On this episode of the Poldercast, we head out from the political centre in the west and into the rest of the country to look at the issues and dynamics that set the agenda in different regions of the Netherlands. Differences in demographics, c

#05 Populism in the Polder

Feb 25th, 2021 44m 57s

In this episode we’ll discuss the legacy of the assassinated Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn, tracing his influence to two populist parties active today - Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV), and the Forum for Democracy led by Thierry Baudet. We’ll

#04 Christian Appeal and the Dutch Consensus

Feb 19th, 2021 42m 7s

The Netherlands is a famously secular country, and yet the last government consisted of not just one, but two Christian parties. The continued staying power of Christian parties in the fragmented political landscape begs the question: What role

#03 The Decline of the Left Wing

Feb 11th, 2021 39m 19s

Once a political powerhouse, the Dutch Labour party PVDA is losing voters to both left and right and is struggling to keep its status as a major political force on the left. Instead, 3 different flavours of left: socialist, labour and green are

#02 The Netherlands, Liberal Paradise?

Feb 3rd, 2021 39m 57s

The Netherlands is often said to be a progressive bastion, where drugs are legal, ethical taboos are broken, and people are free to live their lives as they see fit – a true Liberal Paradise. But how true is this stereotype, and is the Netherla

Bonus

Introducing the Poldercast & the Resignation of the Rutte Cabinet

Jan 28th, 2021 20m 27s

In this bonus episode, your two hosts introduce themselves and the podcast and talk about their plans for the series going forward. Burning questions will be answered, like “Why do we need a podcast about Dutch politics in English?”, “What can

#01 The Netherlands, Coalition Country

Jan 25th, 2021 29m 44s

On 17 March 2021, the Dutch will cast their vote to decide who will govern the country for the next 4 years. But what does this mean in a country where no party rules alone? This episode of the Poldercast introduces the defining feature of Dutc

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