We 'll share everything fairly

What motivates you to work towards inclusive prosperity, or a fair distribution of wealth?

'My belief is that social well-being and material welfare must go hand in hand. Since I started working for Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity, this idea has become increasingly prominent. Many people view broad prosperity primarily through an economic lens, but I also consider the political landscape. The rise of anti-system parties, for example, doesn't come out of the blue. It stems from dissatisfaction with policymakers who tout economic growth while most people aren’t reaping the benefits. There is much more realism in the public’s concerns than in official statistics.'

You work at DoIP with business experts, lawyers and philosophers, Is that enough?

'Of course there is much more to consider beyond those three disciplines. Fields like economics, sociology and public administration also offer valuable perspectives. Inclusive prosperity touches on all aspects of human life, and to develop a complete understanding of that, you need insights from a wide range of disciplines.'

The DoIP also has a practical role in advising governments, for example. Do you have an example of that?

'Coincidentally, just before this interview, I had a conversation with people from the Blankenburgverbinding project, a tunnel project under the Nieuwe Waterweg canal that connects Nissewaard on one side to Vlaardingen and Maassluis on the other. The municipalities see this connection as a key strategy to strengthen ties between the north and south banks of the canal. In this sub-region, many socioeconomic issues converge: high unemployment, poor labour participation, all kinds of deprivation, poor educational performance and a relatively high level of secondary school dropouts. We analysed perceived inclusive prosperity in the areas of education, health care, environmental quality, mobility and access to amenities. We also examined how governments, business and education view those issues. We then report back to the municipalities on the nature of the issues, and offering recommendations for future development. While the tunnel itself contributes to growing prosperity, we approach it more broadly. For example, it's about fostering collaboration between schools, business and the government to address the critical shortage of technically skilled staff.'

Do you think we should think big or small?

'If I think big, I’d say: we need to drastically reform our tax system. Billions of euros are being funnelled out of the country into the bank accounts of major shareholders abroad. We don't address this; instead, we hear that these people are talented entrepreneurs and investors whom we must cater to. Meanwhile, local governments and educational institutions lack the financial resources to make the quality improvements we desperately need. The Netherlands has supposedly ‘lost’ Shell and Unilever, but much of their research and production still occurs here, relying heavily on our SMEs. These are people who are trained here, enter the labour market and pay taxes. We should value them. If even a small portion of that big money were redirected, it used to fund initiatives that benefit the entire country.

On a smaller scale, there are many bottlenecks in the labour market and education that can be resolved with more focused interventions. For the shortage of technically skilled staff, for example, requires tailored solutions that address immediate shortages. Companies and educational institutions need to collaborate far more effectively, and the way the Ministry of Education assesses diplomas does not align with what the labour market truly needs.'

What challenges lie ahead?

'Many, but if I had to highlight one, it would be that social democracy has been neglecting its mission for years. It should have been paying attention to that decline in purchasing power among the underclass and kept that process in view. On one hand, there is a lack of solidarity between people at the bottom of society – regardless of race, gender or religion – who often view each other as enemies, even though they share the same struggles. On the other hand, the political left has shifted towards the centre, meaning they no longer take their natural constituencies seriously enough. This has left the door wide open for left-wing and especially right-wing anti-establishment parties that abandon social improvement. Instead of fighting for socioeconomic rights, these parties focus on finding scapegoats. Neoliberal policies have contributed to growing social inequality, but the unwillingness of the left to critically self-reflect and continue to defend the underclass is the other side of the coin. That is my personal analysis.'

And in conclusion?

'In the study of  inclusive prosperity, a lot of energy is spent on developing indicators for various areas: health, the quality of education, the amount of green space and access to amenities. That's great because it broadens the scope, but I think it's a shame that this work often stops at analysis. The urgent measures we need now are often overlooked. We should focus more on identifying which bottlenecks we can solve most quickly and effectively.'