Polder Model

The polder model is a phenomenon in politics in the Netherlands to reach an agreement despite differences, however great these might be. Since the Middle Ages, it was necessary for farmers, noblemen, cities, and others to cooperate in order to maintain the polders (pieces of land below normal water level, surrounded by dikes) from getting flooded. Without unanimous agreement on shared responsibility for maintenance of the dykes, the polders would have flooded and everyone would have suffered.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - Middle Ages - Polder - Dikes

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This attitude has helped the Dutch in international trade (which has long been a major aspect of the Dutch economy) because it was easier for them to see past cultural differences and get down to business.

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In contemporary usage, it is often used to describe the organised cooperation between the Dutch government, employers and labour unions, embodied in the Sociaal Economische Raad (SER, Social Economic Council). The SER serves as the central forum to discuss labour issues and has a long tradition of consensus, often defusing labour conflicts and avoiding strikes.

Related Topics:
Labour union - Sociaal Economische Raad

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The Akkoord van Wassenaar (1982) is often considered the start of the use of the term in which the forementioned parties agreed on loonmatiging.

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