Hi GuidoFox here! Wonderful that you will read this article ;)

In The Netherlands, our electoral system is based on democratic values, wherein you are able to vote for a person who has to be a member of – and listed by – a political party that participates in the current elections. In every four years we are voting in different period schedules for the municipal, provincial and nationwide elections where the last one is holding the second chamber of parliament (house of representatives). The first chamber of parliament (the senate) is chosen – on an indirect way – simultaneously with the elections of the provincial. In every six years we are choosing the members of the European Parliament. As a result, The Netherlands has currently five democratic levels for passing by legislation in different period schedules to serve the people.

Recently, a liberal party in the second chamber of parliament has submitted a draft legislation to commit political parties to be internally ‘democratic’ in the sense to force parties to have membership obligations. The situation where members could interfere (in contradiction of original voters motives) in party legislation processes could be seen as the sixth ‘democratic’ level.

In the Dutch parliament several parties are in favor of a so called binding corrective referendum whereby the electorate could vote on a proposal, law or political issue to interfere on a democratic way the legislations set up by democratic elected parties. In that case, we have the seventh ‘democratic’ level.

The question arise if in a nowadays heavily fast changing global (digital interconnected) environment with dictatorial leaderships, like China – which is exactly doing great, the trade-off between democratic values and efficiency gets out of balance to serve the people well. In my blog #350 I describe even the risk of (undemocratic) Caesarism if heavily bureaucratic tendencies will continue in the Western decision making processes.

I advise the Dutch policy makers to align and smoothen the legislation processes for efficiency purposes by voting once in the six years for all the democratic layers (municipal, provincial, nationwide), the same time as the elections for the European Parliament. This advice could bring sustainability, calmness and efficiency within the current democratic system. The risk of contradictory legislations on several levels due the constant voting preference changings (left, right/liberal, conservative) in different period schedules will be avoided.

Greetz,

GuidoFox – Evolve your Life!

Spiritual Life Coach

www.GuidoFox.nl

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