Watch online lecture | Rebalancing the Dutch economy | Prof.dr. Dirk Bezemer

The mountain of debts incurred by Dutch households, financially eroded local authorities, shareholder capitalism and the lack of investment in sustainability – we need to change our financial system as a matter of urgency, says Economist prof. dr. Dirk Bezemer.

The Netherlands is a wealthy country, but the money is mounting up in the wrong places: it is accumulating with shareholders, with the state, and in the international financial markets, or is put towards reducing the national debt. On the other hand, we see declining wages, the excessive flexibility of the labour market, decreasing buffers of small companies and households, and gaps in the municipal finances. Financial assets grow at the expense of innovation, resilience, and support, and the economic inequality in the Dutch society is constantly increasing.

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