L'un de mes endroits préférés pour sortir était le Dancers, un club situé à l'intersection des rues Harrison et Second. C'était un espace sombre où des lumières colorées clignotaient au rythme d'un battement industriel constant, créant une atmosphère de sensualité incontournable, avec des gens qui dansaient sur le comptoir du bar. J'avais maladroitement demandé à plusieurs jeunes femmes de danser avec moi, mais à chaque fois, elles avaient refusé. Juste au moment où le découragement s'installait, j'ai repéré une femme séduisante près de la piste de danse, appuyée contre un pilier, de longs cheveux bouclés cascadant sur ses épaules nues, et ses grands yeux marron encadrés par des sourcils épais et parfaitement soignés. En m'approchant d'elle, je me préparais à un autre refus, car elle aussi risquait de décliner ma demande. Je lui ai donc posé la question cliché : « Tu viens souvent ici ? » À ma grande surprise, cela a engagé la conversation. Et il s...
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The people of the Netherlands are told they live in a democracy. But do they really?
In the picture above, King Willem-Alexander stands next to President Trump, with his wife Queen Máxima beside him. Standing off to the side is Prime Minister Rob Jetten, the elected leader of the Netherlands. This arrangement is highly symbolic. The elected representative of the people is placed on the sideline — “offside,” to use a soccer term — while the unelected monarchs occupy the center of the frame.
This image accurately reflects the true political system of the Netherlands: an absolute monarchy that pretends to be a democracy.
Why do Dutch prime ministers and high-ranking politicians allow themselves to be relegated to the sidelines? Because they understand the real power of the monarchy. A quiet quid pro quo is at work. Politicians grant the royals generous subsidies; in return, the monarchy offers them and their families valuable perks — invitations to the palace, exclusive travel, and, most importantly, career opportunities.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima sit on numerous boards and foundations. With a single phone call, they can arrange a prestigious position for a retiring politician. Every senior Dutch politician knows this. It is no coincidence that former Prime Minister Mark Rutte was selected as NATO Secretary General.
All Dutch prime ministers and their cabinet ministers consistently behave as servants of the Royal Crown — because that is precisely what they are. Dutch democracy is a carefully maintained illusion. Every newly elected prime minister and every appointed minister must be sworn in by the King himself at the royal palace. They are sworn into “His Majesty’s government.” The entire democratic process is, in practice, a formality.
The Dutch government exists primarily for the benefit of the monarchy. It is a government for the monarchy and by the monarchy.
King Willem-Alexander is already one of the wealthiest men in the world, yet he continues to receive tens of millions of euros in public subsidies every year — money extracted from productive Dutch citizens by their so-called elected representatives and transferred to the Crown. It is a reverse Robin Hood: taken from the working and middle classes and given to the richest family in the country.
The Dutch royal family holds billions of euros in investments across multinational corporations. Regardless of which party or prime minister is in power, the government consistently acts in the interests of the royal family and its wealth rather than the interests of ordinary Dutch citizens.
The only politician who dared to speak critically about the Dutch monarchy was Pim Fortuyn. He was assassinated just days before he was poised to become the next prime minister. Since that day, no Dutch politician has raised a serious question about the monarchy’s power or privileges. (Read more about this here: The History of Pim Fortuyn: The Politician Queen Beatrix Feared Most .)
.jpg "King Willem-Alexander addresses the United Nations while then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte sits beside him on the sideline during the 74th General Assembly in 2019.") |
| More Dutch Democracy: The Stage Belongs to the Blowhard King |
The second picture, taken at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, tells the same story. King Willem-Alexander led the Dutch delegation and addressed the General Debate. Then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte sat meekly beside him — once again on the sideline. It was not the elected prime minister who spoke for the Netherlands. It was the man with the crown and the subsidies — the blowhard no one voted for.
.jpg "Official figures claim the Dutch royal family costs €60.8 million per year, but independent estimates place the true annual cost at over €345 million.") |
| Dutch Democracy is Robin Hood in Reverse |
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