Sympathy for entrepreneurs caught in the squeeze is harder and harder to find

Much to the dismay of many entrepreneurs and festival-goers, the government pulled the plug on the Festival Summer of 2021. Shocked, disappointed and, understandably, a little frustrated, Lowlands director Eric van Eerdenburg reacted with harsh words aimed at the unvaccinated 40-, 50- and 60-somethings who end up in the ICU. According to Van Eerdenburg, they are the vulnerable group that healthcare is worried about, and the reason the Netherlands is going back into lockdown.

He is being attacked and criticised from all sides. How selfish and naive he must be, they say, to think a festival of this scale could go ahead with these figures, and to simply lay the blame at the feet of the unvaccinated. But how unfair is it really to make these remarks? It was caretaker minister De Jonge himself who announced that three million adults are still unvaccinated. The majority by their own choice — and that is their right too. This panic-driven, seat-of-the-pants policy is exactly what leaves entrepreneurs feeling frustrated when all that gets played is panic football.

When I look at the responses to my own campaign to get swimming lessons up and running again, I ran into a great deal of that same lack of understanding. “My child needs to exercise and just sits still all day — those kids can surely wait a little longer.” And: “There are people lying in hospital and you’re on about swimming lessons? Let them sort that out first before things like this get any priority.” Sadly, the arguments I put forward — such as the rise in drownings among children and the need for stricter active lifeguard supervision because of the shortage of pool hours — are proving to be all too accurate.

The ball lies in The Hague, and unfortunately the policymakers can’t get to grips with the consequences at the micro level. At the macro level, things do run smoothly. Of course — in broad strokes, they have it under control. “Apologies, we reopened too early.” But it is the entrepreneurs and organisers who ultimately keep the country running. Whether it’s a festival, a hospitality business or swimming lessons for children.

In the end it all has to be organised, and the final word rests in The Hague. So what happens if The Hague closes the swimming pools again without solid grounds? Then I’ll be the first to speak up. An entrepreneur and organiser has to stand up for their business, not simply be served their fate on a plate.

The solution has to be found in better collaboration between industries and policymakers. The government is merely the executive and steering body that lets the policymakers do the work. The OMT and the RIVM advise, but once public pressure gets too high — hey presto. I hope more respect will emerge for the organising entrepreneurs and fellow professionals who depend on the established order in The Hague.

If no one organises anything anymore until COVID is gone from the world entirely, we’ll be sitting on our hands until the end of 2022. And only then will everyone realise that COVID will never disappear completely, and that we’ll all simply have to learn to live with it. I sincerely hope that isn’t what entrepreneurs have in mind. Because then we’re no longer just talking about safety, but also about social wellbeing and, more broadly, the public interest. I, for one, have no intention of doing so.