Liekuut |opinion pieces overview

A lot has been said about the grid becoming congested, and efforts are being made to expand it. However, expanding the grid is not the most efficient solution, especially in the short term, says Machiel Mulder, Professor of Energy Economics at the University of Groningen.

It is clear as day that the Netherlands is facing great challenges in the area of nature conservation and biodiversity. According to ecologist Christ Smit, it is therefore high time that the scientist steps out of their ivory tower and joins the search for potential solutions, rather than presenting proof of the problems.

This spring, the European Union has approved two privacy laws, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). According to Dr Titus Stahl, political philosopher, this form of legislative regulation does not suffice, because the regulation of commercial companies does not address social media’s undemocratic component.

The European Union is a legal community. Details of the powers that EU institutions have, the powers that they don’t have, and the procedures they have to follow, are set out in the treaties that underpin the EU. Numerous eagle-eyed lawyers make sure that no-one oversteps their boundaries. But recent years have shown that even in Europe, necessity knows no law. Is this a good thing? Pieter de Wilde, Professor of European Politics & Society doesn’t see a problem. In fact, to his mind, the EU should actively sideline its treaties more often so that it can become more political and democratic.

Knowledge about the meaning of our Christian holidays is quite lost. Ask on a shopping street what we celebrate on Easter, and you will probably hear something about the Easter Bunny. Is it time to abolish Easter, Good Friday and Pentecost? Mathilde van Dijk, associate professor of the history of Christianity, doesn't think so. According to her, we would do well to increase knowledge about these traditions. At the same time, we should also accept that traditions change, whether we want them to or not.

According to Raymond Klaassen, ecologist at the Faculty of Science and Engineering of the University of Groningen, farmers are mostly victims of the system that we shaped together. In his view, we should mainly pay attention to the agroindustry and then, through fairly small modifications, we can greatly improve the life of the farmer and our landscape.

Dijkgraaf, the outgoing Minister of Education, Culture & Science (OCW), has drawn up an action plan to reduce school dropout at all levels. However, Mandy van der Gaag, assistant professor of Developmental Psychology, wishes that the main reason that was mentioned is better addressed, which is making the wrong study choice.

Because of the Extinction Rebellion protests, everyone knows they exist: fossil subsidies. As a result of those same protests, serious consideration is now being given to abolishing them. That is a good thing, according to Bert Scholtens, Professor of Sustainable Banking and Finance at the University of Groningen, as the regulations have overshot their mark and are downright unfair. Moreover, the creation and implementation of such policies are devoid of any transparency. In his opinion, we would do well to operate within a policy that is transparent, fair and international.

Livelihood security seem to be the magic words of this election campaign. It is presented in the media as the major election theme. According to Dirk Jan Wolffram, this is the case because the truly major themes are not translated into the parties' political visions... ‘It wasn’t always like that,’ says the Professor of History of Governance and Politics in Modern Times. ‘In the fifties and sixties, fundamental debates about the societal order led to the establishment of national insurance legislation in response to the economic crisis of the 1930s.’ Drastic and complex solutions to something that was a real fundamental societal problem at the time: livelihood security.

It is election time, which means politicians are trying to win over voters. Promises, plans, and solutions for every single problem abound. But, will voting for the right person with the right plan really help us in the long run? Michel Dückers, Professor by special appointment of Crises, Safety and Health at the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences of the University of Groningen, is not convinced. In order to really get somewhere we need to do a lot more: to accept the current state of affairs and to adopt a long-term perspective. That is true for society as well as politics.

There is not a newspaper or TV channel to be found where people are not quarrelling. The impression exists that polarization is more and more on the rise, just like inequality and segregation. But is this actually true? Research shows a remarkable image, says Professor by special appointment at the UG Jochem Tolsma.

Brigit Toebes, Professor of Health Law at the University of Groningen, argues for government protection of the right to health. Continued interventions regarding alcohol and smoking are a necessity, according to Toebes.

Adriaan J. Wierenga, emergency law specialist, argues in favour of a thorough revision and simplification of the national emergency law before the next crisis arrives. Proper legislation could save lives.

According to Herman Bröring, Professor of Administrative Law at the UG, the province is a level of government that is not always understood by its residents, despite the fact that it has an important function. 

For a long time, we believed that it was possible to 'engineer' the Netherlands – and therefore the countryside. But now that the issues of climate change and the energy transition are looming, we are reaching the limits of what that engineering can achieve, says Tialda Haartsen , Professor of Rural Geography at the University of Groningen. And that means we need to rethink the way we design the countryside.

According to Prof. Mathijs Sanders, Professor of Modern Dutch Literature, the school subject Dutch has wrongfully become the subject that does not receive its deserved attention. ‘Dutch is too often seen as a “service subject” in which skills are taught to serve other subjects. If we want to respect and stimulate the pupils’ creative intelligence, we need to offer teachers career prospects and bring academic research into classrooms.

During the past few years, the government has increased the energy tax on natural gas and lowered it for electricity. In doing so, the government wants to stimulate households to choose for electrical options, such as heat pumps or electric stoves, to generate heat. That's a nice idea, says Marlies Hesselman, lecturer of International Law, but we need to be careful in order to ensure that everyone can participate. In the case of energy, we are not concerned with the decisions people want to make, but with the decisions people can make.

A weighty report by the Groningen parliamentary committee of inquiry on natural gas extraction is on the table. According to the committee, the government owes a debt of honour to the people of Groningen. Dr Nienke Busscher says this does not solely mean fair compensation. In her opinion, it is also time for reliable policies that are close to the residents.

During the National Week Without Meat and Dairy, there is a call to avoid eating animal products. But will that make a difference? Can you help save the world by skipping the occasional steak? Ellen van der Werff, assistant professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Groningen, says you can.