Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 72

central government. It is a unitary rather than a federal system. Mayors of
municipalities are also appointed by the central government.
Decision making in the Netherlands is highly cooperative. The county's
divisions between Protestants and Catholics, its rural-urban split, and its
vulnerability to foreign invasion have put a premium on solving problems
smoothly. A frequent metaphor is called “the polder model.” A polder is a
section of land reclaimed from the sea with dikes and pumps. Dutch citi-
zens are quite aware that this can only happen through cooperative effort
extending over many years and needs constant vigilance to ensure the pol-
der does not flood. The metaphor illustrates the importance of consensus,
consultation, and solidarity. 22 It contrasts with the majority rule utilized
in Anglo-Saxon countries.
The emphasis on cooperation has gone too far, according to some critics.
They point to the shift from enforcement to conciliation. Inspectors would
rather be advisors than policemen. In 1995 facts finally came out that the
TCR company, a waste disposal firm in Rotterdam, had pumped huge
amounts of poisonous chemicals directly into the Maas River without any
questions being asked by the government. In the meantime the company
had received an International Standards Organization (ISO) certificate
and $11 million in subsidy. (These are environmental criteria set out by
the ISO, a federation of standards agencies from more than 150 countries.)
Four years later news came about two companies that were mixing fat
wastes from the sewers into animal food, while earning certificates for
Good Manufacturing Processes. 23 A less serious criticism is that the
process is too slow, leading to endless discussion.
Traditionally, the country was organized into four pillars (verzuiling) of
Protestant, Catholic, Liberal, and Socialist. Each community had its own
schools, clubs, newspapers, social work agencies, farm cooperatives, radio
stations, and so forth. The witticism was that on Sunday morning the
Protestants went to church, the Catholics went to mass, the Liberals tended
their gardens, and the Socialists washed their motorcycles. National deci-
sions were carefully and slowly negotiated in private among the pillars at
the elite level. In recent years the pillars have not been as strong due to
declines in religious and ideological devotion. The environmental move-
ment has been a force toward more openness. Protests against nuclear
energy at Almelo, Kalkar, and Dodewaard between 1978 and 1981 marked
the emergence of direct citizen participation. 24
The government has engaged in comprehensive planning for many
years. In the past these plans used to be drawn up by government experts