Certain about uncertainty

Dutch politicians should be honest about unknowns when planning emergency responses, says a Rathenau researcher

In mid-December, the Netherlands announced yet another Covid-19 lockdown. The resulting public protests against social distancing restrictions were a fitting end to a year characterised by growing opposition to the Dutch government’s response to the pandemic.

Had the government taken the opportunity to explain its choices better, people might have been more understanding, according to Sophie van Baalen, a researcher at the Rathenau Institute, which facilitates Dutch public debate on science and technology policy.