For photo album of this magnificent event click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98057281@N02/sets/
• Links between the government, the private sector, education and the public stronger than ever
• International business opportunities and local inspiration
• Launch of BIDNEX
• Award winners announced
• Record number of 796 visitors
The Hague, 22 January 2014 – The seventh edition of ‘Big Improvement Day’ was held yesterday
at the RAI in Amsterdam. In addition to Dutch business leaders, seven Ministries took part in BID
2014. Under the leadership of Mark Frequin, Director General of Housing and Construction at the
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, many innovative initiatives and special issues were
presented to the private sector, showing the government’s enterprising side. Leading entrepreneur John
Fentener van Vlissingen then challenged the government with a ten-point plan with which he called
for a number of substantial corrections to our current political system.
John Fentener van Vlissingen: ‘How do we make the Netherlands workable again?’
As presented at BID 2014
Ten-point plan
1. Set the election threshold at 5% of the votes.
2. Admit new political parties with 1 seat if they win the required number of votes but do not
attain the 5% election threshold.
3. After 4 years in Parliament, a new party also has to attain the election threshold of a minimum
of 5%.
4. Reduce the number of election districts to 6. This will increase the local involvement of
people’s representatives.
5. MPs must live in the districts in which they are elected.
6. The Senate should lose the right to reject a Bill.
7. The Senate should be given the right to alter a Bill.
8. The Lower House will then adopt or reject the Bill in a second round.
9. Reduce the number of seats in the Senate from 75 to 50.
10. Reduce the number of seats in the Lower House from 150 to 100.
