Samenvatting

The ‘step forward’, as stated by the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) in its strategy for 2030, is the ultimate example of classic, organic relationships within public administration. The idea of the VNG is to reverse co-governance (‘medebewind’), because ‘municipalities identify social challenges and propose solutions themselves’. This relies on everyone’s independent development power. However, due to the instrumentalisation of co-governance by the government, the scope for creativity of the municipalities is becoming increasingly smaller. Redistribution of tasks and additional conditions are therefore necessary to prevent the VNG’s step forward from having, in retrospect, only accelerated the instrumentalisation of co-governance. In this essay the author (the current holder of the Thorbecke Chair in Leiden) analyses the implications of the instrumentalisation of co-governance. Without the correct constitutional conditions for organic relationships, a joint policy step forward may actually accelerate the instrumentalisation of co-governance. The VNG’s plans will soon only have to be included by the legislator in a national program and a target regulation. That is why, in addition to the content, the conditions must also be on the table, to prevent the VNG and the central government from playing chess on a completely different board.