Officials skeptical about new government's plans, but most consider themselves loyal

Government officials are more skeptical than citizens about the Schoof I Cabinet’s plans in almost all policy fields. But the vast majority consider themselves “loyal officials,” and very few plan on finding another job due to their concerns, according to a survey by Ipsos I&O commissioned by the trade journal Binnelands Bestuur.

The only policy field in which officials are more optimistic than citizens is in Defense. 55 percent of officials expect the Schoof I Cabinet will succeed in “strengthening our defense,” compared to 49 percent of citizens. But only 29 percent think the government will protect democracy (38 percent of citizens). 15 percent think the government will make the Netherlands safer (25 percent of citizens). And only 6 percent of officials believe the government will decrease discrimination and exclusion (12 percent of citizens).

Officials also have concerns about the working environment. Three in ten expect to face more moral dilemmas at work, and one in ten expect it will be more challenging to express their moral concerns. But despite these concerns, 81 percent consider themselves to be “loyal civil servants,” and only 3 percent are thinking about changing jobs.

“I expected a higher outflow of civil servants,” Ipsos I&O Researcher Peter Kanne told Nieuwsuur about the survey. “This outcome is encouraging and pleasant for the government.”

Only 14 percent of civil servants described themselves as “activists” in the survey, and the number of officials who will actually take action is likely even smaller. Protests by civil servants are rare, though there were several protests against the climate policy and the previous Cabinet’s position on Israel’s attacks on Gaza in the past year. “The Gaza and climate protests are exceptions to the rule that this hardly happens among civil servants,” Kanne told the current affairs program.

Despite this, Kanne expects more protests from officials in the coming period. For example, if the government choses to ignore the official advice not to declare an asylum crisis. “You can’t ignore this kind of advice too often.

The survey showed that a majority of civil servants find demonstrating against government policy acceptable if under certain conditions. Almost all (95 percent) find criticism behind closed doors acceptable. A large majority would also sign a petition (81 percent) or demonstrate (81 percent) as a citizen against a government decision they disagree with. And 72 percent said they would protest as a civil servant if a government decision would disadvantage groups of citizens.

“My impression is that officials view the new Cabinet in a businesslike and professional manner,” Kanne told Nieuwsuur. “They are much more concerned with the fact that policy must be effective and that people get what they are entitled to, that there is no discrimination, and that administrators are honest.”