Dennis Wiersma, the minister of Education, Culture and Science who resigned on Thursday, was “sometimes too sharp”. That is what the VVD member himself wrote about his behavior in a statement on Twitter. It was an understatement, a figure of speech in which Wiersma has excelled lately. He would do self-examination, listen better, learn from his mistakes. As if the job of minister is a work experience place, or a sniffing internship, where you can go wrong with impunity. And where transgressive behavior is no more than a note in the final report. The lightness with which Wiersma and the VVD handled this matter was exactly the wrong signal. As minister, Wiersma was responsible for primary and secondary education. He was the signboard of the values that the ministry wants to propagate: respect, equality, tolerance, good citizenship.
Wiersma did exactly the opposite, and was therefore unbelievable in his position for a long time. Several (former) employees of Wiersma had already said that Wiersma created a toxic working environment. For example, as a member of parliament and later as a minister, he was strongly focused on publicity, and he put pressure on his countless communications officers to improve his profile. If that didn’t suit his taste, it led to yelling and tantrums. Many Wiersma employees have left over the years. They did not receive the protection they were entitled to from their employer.
It is good that Wiersma has decided to leave. But that only happened after new complaints that confirmed the old pattern. It concerned misconduct against an employee during a conference on practical education, and, according to The Telegraphto a tantrum against officials of the Education Inspectorate.
If Dennis Wiersma had left earlier, it would have benefited his credibility. Education and (former) civil servants are paying a price for delaying this inevitable step.
The VVD has kept Wiersma’s hand above his head, and that can be blamed on the party. Wiersma had to come and confess to the parliamentary party, and did that again at the VVD congress. And then he was allowed to move on. As if the job was more important than the public good. And that is exactly not what politicians can use. The message should always be that the public interest comes first, that transgressive behavior is unacceptable, and that no one is more important than the position he or she holds. The declining confidence in politics is not a natural phenomenon. It is influenced by decisions made by politicians every day. The decision not to do anything about Wiersma’s misconduct is a defeat for politics as a whole.
For several years now, the conversation about transgressive behavior has deepened in society. This is a good business. It is better recognised, and generally discussed earlier, including when it comes to behavior of a non-sexual nature. This process is painful for some, but necessary. It is downright disappointing that political reality lags behind social reality.
Politicians often seem to get away with transgressive behaviour, political groups and ministries look the other way, and usually only take action once the media has reported it – which has happened many times over the past few years. Politicians neglect an expensive duty. The Wiersma case is sad proof of that.
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