How could a happy and wealthy country like the Netherlands become susceptible to the lure of a range of populist politicians? Dutch journalist Yvonne Zonderop reports on how Dutch society has changed more profoundly over the last 20 years than many higher educated Dutch people would care to admit. New divisions in society fuelled the populist movement. The populists have succeeded in addressing this problem. But since this has been recognised, their importance has faded. Still, one more question remains: how can the Netherlands regain the egalitarian spirit it is famous for?
This essay is also available in Dutch.