Meer Democratie (‘More Democracy’) is a movement campaigning for improving and deepening democracy in the Netherlands and Europe. We want the citizens to be in charge in our democracy.

 

Click here for an introduction of our daily team and Board (in Dutch)

Our aims

  • the introduction of binding citizen-initiated referendums and popular initiatives (as in Switzerland)
  • introduction of direct elections for mayors, king’s commissioners and the prime minister
  • opening up public appointments for all citizens, not just members of the established political parties (as is the case in the Netherlands now)
  • introduction of a new voting system that ensures parliamentarians have a direct mandate from their voters, and are no longer 'puppets on a string' of their party leaders
  • better rules for petitions and citizen initiatives
  • the introduction of ‘community rights’ (as in the UK) for initiatives who perform public tasks
  • better information rights for citizens
  • a fundamental reform of the European Union
  • abolishment of the monarcy

Our successes 

Meer Democratie was launched in the beginning of 2015. However, the initiators of Meer Democratie have been active for 2 decades around the introduction of referendum and initiative rights in the Netherlands. Read about our successes here.

We are non-partisan and financed largely by donations from individuals and grants. We are members of Democracy International, the international alliance for direct democracy.

The daily team

Above from left to right the initiators of Meer Democratie: Niesco Dubbelboer, Eisse Kalk, Arjen Nijeboer, Erik Bout and Matthijs Pontier. Together with Hans Idink en Thijs Vos (entirely right) they make up the daily team. Next to them, a growing number of volunteers are active for Meer Democratie.

...and their jobs:

  • Niesco Dubbelboer, director & spokesperson
  • Arjen Nijeboer, campaign leader & spokesperson
  • Thijs Vos, researcher
  • Eisse Kalk, chairman
  • Erik Bout, secretary
  • Matthijs Pontier, treasurer
  • Hans Idink, ICT
  • Some 50 volunteers
  • Some 40,000 followers

Contact

Meer Democratie
H.J.E. Wenckebachweg 144-148
1114 AD Amsterdam-Duivendrecht
The Netherlands
Phone +31 20 638 0558
Email info@meerdemocratie.nl