Minister Hugo de Jonge questions market forces in healthcare. These are strong statements for a Minister of Healthcare. With the small caveat that curative care falls fully under the responsibility of VVD colleague minister Bruno Bruins. And his party still stands for regulated competition in healthcare.

Minister De Jonge does not yet have a new plan, no concrete steps for the future. He is honest about that. However, he does tap into a broader sentiment, namely that continued market forces are not good for healthcare. And more broadly, that market forces have perverse side effects anyway. Now none of that was immediate news. Yet it received attention thanks to the sender – a CDA minister – and the timing – just before the elections.

The politician-manager who can make the difference
Here is a politician speaking who wants to identify issues that are felt in society. A politician who is also active and decisive himself. And he is not alone in this - see also Wopke Hoekstra with KLM and Eric Wiebes with his original gas decision. This all fits in with the current era, in which administrators no longer just implement 'technocratic' policy, but are much more likely to dare to identify problems and put them on the agenda themselves. Many citizens are positive about this and say so. Leadership to identify issues and then translate them into action. The politician-manager can immediately make a difference with the parties that 'appoint' everything but do not want to be behind the wheel.

Listening, giving arguments, substantiating choices
But real decisiveness is not possible without support, especially in a country like the Netherlands. So: listen carefully, give arguments, substantiate choices. And also dare to look the citizen who is not satisfied straight in the eye. In this way, words are put into words.