The Archive

The questions. The debates. The verdicts.

Explore every session of The Long Council.

17 of 151 sessions
  1. 18 June 2026

    How can the Netherlands improve the sustainability reputation of its flower bulb industry?

    Verdict

    Bind the bulb sector to the *waterschappen* water rules, then price extraction and runoff so growers pay the real cost.

    NetherlandsGovernanceClimate
  2. 15 June 2026

    How should the Netherlands redistribute wealth?

    Verdict

    Tax wealth, not just income, but preserve the corporate rates that generate revenue.

    NetherlandsEconomy
  3. 13 June 2026

    How can the Dutch bureaucracy better respond to the social problems it currently ignores?

    Verdict

    Create citizen oversight boards with power to stop cases and fire officials.

    NetherlandsGovernance
  4. 12 June 2026

    An aging country needs migrants but does not want them. How do you solve that?

    Verdict

    Build consensus through transparent debate about selective migration, not technocratic override of electoral will.

    NetherlandsAI & Technology
  5. 31 May 2026

    Has the Dutch Polder Model become a brake on innovation and growth, and should it be dismantled?

    Verdict

    Reform the polder model with accountability mechanisms and decision deadlines, but preserve stakeholder consultation where it adds value.

    NetherlandsEconomyGovernanceAI & Technology
  6. 19 May 2026

    How can we structure Dutch democracy so that it works less divisively?

    Verdict

    Dutch democracy needs institutions that force hard decisions, but the council splits on whether centralized authority or distributed governance delivers them.

    NetherlandsGovernanceDemocracy
  7. 18 May 2026

    Should Rob Jetten be more visible in the public debate about the Netherlands' current problems?

    Verdict

    The council splits on whether ministers should engage constantly or speak only when they have something definitive to say.

    NetherlandsDemocracyClimate
  8. 18 May 2026

    Should the Netherlands limit ASML exports to China under American pressure, or determine its position independently?

    Verdict

    The Netherlands should set independent export limits based on Dutch security interests, not American strategic demands.

    USChinaNetherlandsEconomyAI & Technology
  9. 17 May 2026

    Should Curaçao build wealth for the poor, and what benefits would that bring to society?

    Verdict

    Yes — wealth-building creates stakeholder citizens and social stability that welfare transfers cannot match.

    NetherlandsEconomy
  10. 14 May 2026

    Should Groningen's gas fields remain open for emergency situations?

    Verdict

    Emergency capacity requires local control over when emergencies justify production.

    NetherlandsClimate
  11. 14 May 2026

    Should the Dutch government reopen the Groningen gas field to secure energy supplies, and how should it compensate affected residents?

    Verdict

    The council agrees compensation must be automatic and generous, but splits on whether energy sovereignty justifies reopening.

    NetherlandsClimate
  12. 12 May 2026

    Should the Netherlands allow the American company Kyndryl to acquire Solvinity, given concerns about digital sovereignty?

    Verdict

    Block the acquisition and build domestic alternatives at higher cost.

    USNetherlandsGeopolitics
  13. 5 May 2026

    Can the Netherlands solve the housing crisis, and if so, how and on what timeline?

    Verdict

    The Netherlands can solve its housing crisis, but must choose between fast state direction, slow market freedom, or mixed systems that require sustained political will.

    Netherlands
  14. 29 April 2026

    Should the Netherlands regulate AI more strictly?

    Verdict

    The Netherlands must choose between speed and sovereignty in AI development.

    EUNetherlandsGovernanceAI & Technology
  15. 28 April 2026

    Should we get rid of the senate in the Netherlands?

    Verdict

    The Dutch Senate's fate turns on whether democratic legitimacy flows directly from popular will or through institutions that channel and refine that will — a constitutional philosophy question that evidence alone cannot resolve.

    Netherlands
  16. 26 April 2026

    Does a wealth tax work in the Netherlands, or does it lead to the exit of capital?

    Verdict

    The Netherlands' wealth tax failed because it was implemented unilaterally in a world of mobile capital, but the council divides on whether coordinated international wealth taxation would succeed or simply spread the same fundamental proble…

    NetherlandsEconomy
  17. 24 April 2026

    Should the Netherlands phase out all remaining Russian LNG imports by end of 2026, even if this means higher consumer energy prices for 18 months?

    Verdict

    The Netherlands should phase out Russian LNG imports by end-2026. Energy dependency on an adversarial supplier that has already weaponized energy exports constitutes a strategic vulnerability that outweighs temporary consumer costs.

    NetherlandsEconomyGeopoliticsWarClimate