The words division or polarization were not used. But the echo of a year in which the Netherlands became more polarized, as recently revealed by the National Voter Survey, was echoed in King Willem-Alexander’s Christmas speech. He instructed us to “keep looking for what we do share,” even when disagreements exist or arise.
He also expressed this in his earlier Christmas speeches. The tone was only more worrisome this time, more compelling too. While ‘a listening ear’ was still a gift in 2018, now the word ‘should’ was used. Last year the king told “the soft voices” that they too should be heard, now he found that there is a need for everyone to be heard.
And he noted that it clearly takes more effort to listen to each other’s stories “and see the people behind it.” This was also apparent from the National Voter Survey: people more often disagree about points of view, have started to think more negatively about political opponents, and because they have increasingly used different sources of information, their perception of reality has diverged.
Climate change
Willem-Alexander specifically referred to climate change, the most polarizing topic in the Netherlands according to the National Voter Survey. It was the first time that climate change had been so prominently featured in the Christmas speech. The king called it “self-created” and according to him everyone experiences the consequences “firsthand”.
He does, however, see a “willingness” to find solutions together, “for a joint venture to protect our lives on earth.” “That too can be part of our story,” he said.
But that call for a shared story, for connection, sounded more hesitant than in previous years. Propagating “what unites us Dutch” is the assignment that the king gave himself at his inauguration in 2013. Until now he gave a concrete interpretation in every Christmas speech, now it seemed more like a search for what that story could be.
For although the king pointed out that „even under the thickest armor always the desire [leeft] to work with others for a better future,” he also said that that desire “maybe” is “the seed” for a shared story. One where everyone “is needed”, he said, including a new cabinet. That also sounded like an assignment.
The king further referred to conversations he had over the past year. These were discussed more emphatically than in previous years (and on the website of the Royal House there are links to all those conversations in the speech) – just last week, a research commissioned by the Government Information Service that people hardly know what the daily activities of Willem-Alexander and Máxima are. Work visits, of which there are several weekly, are not noticeable.
Also read about the Christmas speech from last year
The research also shows that in the corona time “their role has not come out strongly”. “Only after some consideration does one come to the conclusion that one or a few (virtual) visits have been made to hospitals.” What did stick out are the times when the royal family did not take it too closely with the corona rules, including the autumn holiday to Greece last October. The investigation was held before it was announced a week and a half ago that Princess Amalia celebrated her birthday with more guests than the cabinet advises to receive. The king did not refer to all of that in his Christmas speech.
Watch King Willem-Alexander’s speech here:
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