Those are some of the answers I got when I asked my colleagues for their vision on the Dutch. Read on to find what else they said and discover if they are right or wrong.

Laid back, very (or too) liberal, tolerant, open-minded creative and fun people

I have never thought of the Dutch as particularly tolerant. Hence my surprise when so many people feel the need to mention exactly that, once they discover you are Dutch. Usually they have the drugs or abortion or euthanasia or equality policy,  gay marriage or the Amsterdam red light district in mind.

Two-way cycle path by Fietsberaad

All this exists because of a deep sense of pragmatism rather than tolerance.  When something is out there, the Dutch are keen on labelling it and inventing regulations to control it. For drugs, abortion, euthanasia and prostitution policy, the global idea is that policy and regulation make it easier to control. So, the fear of these activities going underground is a reason for the rather liberal policies.  By the way, abortion policy in several member States (like Belgium and Spain) is more liberal (meaning it can be done until a later stage in pregnancy) than in the Netherlands.

Another example of Dutch pragmatism is that criminals must pay taxes in the Netherlands (well, ok only when they are caught doing some kind of lucrative criminal activity, by calling in after-tax).  Contrary to Sweden, in the Netherlands paid sex is legal and people in the Adult Entertainment Industry do need to pay taxes like anyone else.

 But also: super-conservative people who can’t stand all those hippies visiting the Dam or conformists living in a fish bowl

Indeed, there are quite some differences in the country and I am surprised by this level of inside information of several colleagues. 

Blunt with a specific, rather direct sense of humour, which often hurts  

The Dutch tend to call the things by their name; they are very direct. Knowing that something is there, but denying it or shutting one’s eyes to it is something the Dutch do not understand. This practice sometimes seen in other cultures leaves a Dutch person deeply confused. Perhaps also a reason they are not the best diplomats?  For the Dutch, yes is yes and no is no. It took me quite some time, working in an international environment, to realise that the absence of an answer can actually mean a no.

And yes, Dutch humour is great and plays an important role in society with a rather large group of comedians performing in the theatres every season.  Traditionally on New Year’s Eve a comedian is chosen to look back on the year in a live broadcast watched by many.

Dutch love to travel and can be found in many countries around the world.  

True. Dutch love to travel, in their own or neighbouring countries but also to exotic places. Wherever you go, when you meet a fellow traveller, 50% chance it is a Dutchmen (other 50% chance it is someone from a Scandinavian country).  Dutch also tend to think they speak languages well, which is definitely not true. But the Dutch compare themselves to big surrounding countries like the UK, Germany and France, hence the misunderstanding.

Dutch are greedy penny-pinchers
According to the Flemish; copper wire was invented by two Dutch people fighting for a coin.  It is true that in daily life the Dutch tend to consider more carefully than others what they spend their money on. However, the Dutch tend to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. When it comes to more complicated financial products like mortgages and insurances, the Dutch are not all that well informed and for instance tend to be over insured.

And no, the Dutch are in general not greedy. Compared with other countries, the Dutch do give a lot more to good causes and charity (last year 88% of all households gave to a charity) and the amount spend on development aid is also amongst the highest in the EU.

Dutch eat bad food
What is served for dinner in the average family (especially among the older generations) is indeed not that tasty. Eating is seen as something that needs to be done (preferably in 30 minutes) in order to take in some calories in to keep on going and before all the other activities (sports, voluntary work) in the evening can take a start. But: like several other Nordic countries that may have a similar reputation, the cuisine is not hindered by the (by a Dutchman invented) Law of the handicap of a head start .

So, in compliance with the principle of the law, indeed the nicest and most inventive restaurants I had dinner were always in Nordic countries and not in the Perigord where the first day you enjoy your meal and after the third day you only want to flee because all restaurants serve the same success story.

The Dutch are sturdy; love extreme sports as well as riding the bike

One of my colleagues says he read on the internet that since the use of bikes is so smartly encouraged, the Dutch have better health and body shape than the rest of lazy Europeans. He was not the only one mentioning the good body shape of the Dutch (which is very true of course). Another one noticed that the Dutch tend to like sports under extreme circumstances. It is true that the Dutch also take the bike when it is raining or storming and in rural areas it is completely normal that school kids ride 45 minutes back and forth to school every day.

Super-organised control freaks

Yes, the Dutch tend to think that “things are well-organised” in their country and are rather proud of it. Especially when encountering – in their eyes -poorly organised situations abroad.  Being practical and efficient is appreciated.

Funny enough, whereas being well-organised is a pride for the Dutch, I heard in a course on working in a multi-cultural environment last year that for people from southern Member States, this -perhaps Nordic- efficiency at work was the worst thing they could come up with when asked to describe something negative about another culture. It takes away all the fun…

And according to the Dutch themselves…

I also asked some Dutch colleagues how they perceive the Dutch. Presumptuous, ill-mannered and overregulated is what they said after going on to discuss whether or not a Dutchman could be proud of the Delta Works achieved by other Dutchmen.  Oh, another thing: in the Netherlands, big monumental constructions like the Delta Works or the Afsluitdijk are always very functional in the first place ….

On holiday in the Netherlands a while ago, I noticed that the cycle path had two bikes painted on it. It took me some thinking to realise this was in order to indicate that the cyclists could come from two directions on this path (usually there is a cycling path on each part of the road but not here). So: overregulated? Perhaps a bit. While looking for an accompanying photo, I found there is actually a centre of expertise on bicycle policy in the Netherlands. However, whereas one of my colleagues pointed out parents are scared to death when their youngsters go off on holiday to Amsterdam; bear in mind the Netherlands is one of the Members with the lowest traffic mortality in the EU!

Also I have heard the opinion that Sweden has done (soon ending) a terrible Presidency in the EU (2009), and there is also the theory that Swedes has to eat meat because it is so cold in the country so they must build up their bodies with something, anything. Also they eat on really strange time, usually hours before the Latin countries. Plus they are often on time, which is funny.

Image over the mountains in Åre in the middle part of Sweden, where it actually is very very cold. @Nosplos on Flickr

On top of this I have read someone saying that since the Swedes didn’t experience the World War II their voice about the EP travelling to Strasbourg every month couldn’t really be taken seriously and so the Swedish signatures in the One Seat campaign were not to be accountable.

On the other hand I have heard that Sweden has done a wonderful Presidency in the EU (2009), the best ever, and that Sweden is very well organised, the language is funny and sounds friendly. Sometimes I also hear that Sweden is a role model in certain areas.

I am thinking; let me, before I leave Brussels for this time, share with you some of my favourite parts of my home country.

In Sweden you can’t buy someone for sex. Well you can but you would be a criminal. We have the so called Sexköpslagen (from 1999), which prevents buyers to buy sex but protects the prostitutes. This is a unique legislation for Sweden. Recently Norway and Iceland also adopted a similar legislation. The official governmental opinion is that prostitution is considered to cause serious harm both to individuals and to society as a whole.

Also, Sweden doesn’t have maternity leave. We have parental leave. In Sweden these days the aim is that men and women share the burden of having a house and a family and children.

The jewel though is Tryckfrihetsförordningen (Freedom of Press), which is written in the constitution. Sweden was the first country in the world to get Tryckfrihet (1766) and one part of it is Offentlighetsprincipen (The principal of public access to public documents). It says that all the documentation of the work of a government, parliament or department or government agency is a public document. And a public document is open for any public. It is possible for any citizen to call any government agency and ask for a specific documentation, and the civil servants are not allowed to ask who you are or why you want that piece of documentation. The openness of all documentation is the rule, but there are of course exceptions with secret information.

The cost for me? 20 euros. I paid it when entering. I picked 20 euros from my jeans pocket.

And what about health care? This spring I had a surgery in my knee. I was hospitalized for a day and there were lot of nurses involved and a surgeon. The cost for me? 20 euros. I paid it when entering. I picked 20 euros from my jeans pocket. This means that even if you are rich or poor you can get the same treatment.

Another thing I wouldn’t want to lose is the Allemansrätten. This means that you have access to the forests and the nature without asking anyone or paying, even on private land, you can put up a tent and sleep there or make a fire in order to grill your sausages. In the autumn Swedes hurry out in the forests, coming back home with berries and mushrooms, to be enjoyed the rest of the year.

So, this is little about Sweden. Come to think of it I don’t know what would be the five best things about Romania, Greece or Lithuania. Does one dare to ask for a blog post about it?

A look at the centre of the world... © youdontsmellbad on flickr

I have Danish, Bulgarian and Maltese colleagues in the office next to me. An Italian one in front of me. Some German, Spanish, Polish, Slovenian, Finnish colleagues in the same corridor. And they all speak perfect English. What about me? I’m French. And I sometimes feel stupid in that multicultural, multilingual and open-minded environment. Speaking two languages isn’t very spectacular when your colleagues speak as much as 3, 4, 5, even 10 languages!!!

Well, I could’nt say my colleagues don’t pay attention to me, no, that’s the contrary. All of them know about my place of birth, in Brittany. They all were there for some holidays. They all know about the town I’m now living in, in North of France. Most of all speak French fluent, and, and, and… It’s perhaps a victory for the “francophonie”, a victory for all people defending the French language in the world, the people who are fighting for the French “exception culturelle”, for the French tourism and the wonderful French landscapes… But that don’t motivate French people to have a look across borders. The characteristic French people are proud of their country; sometimes, it’s like they’re in the centre of the world.

I’m French. I was born in France, grew up in France. Nothing but usual. Learned then German – what a strange idea… Went then to Germany for the study, two years long. Really unusual in France. Now, when I’m back home, I feel like an alien, speaking fluent another language (will see now how long my German remains better than my English – could probably hold one or two years?), having travelled in several European countries and worked in China once…

But in other countries – tell me if I’m wrong -, that’s usual. I had this feeling in Germany for example. In Brussels, that’s more than usual. Your Lithuanian colleague knows the little town you’re born in but you don’t know the main city of his country (Please don’t say Riga…)? Well, looks like bad. On top of that, French people are apparently famous for being arrogant: so I have to integrate myself while breaking this image. I have to go to the people, I have to communicate in another language… That’s the point: speaking German is good but we work in English in our unit.

So my English is in the centre of two main challenges, a professional one (working with my colleagues, writing good articles, understanding what’s going on) and another one which I’d like to name “socialization” (integrate myself in a team, interact with colleagues, being happy while going to work…). How to reach that? I formally take you as witness of a commitment…

Six months. I give me six months in order to speak enough English for the ordinary activities at the European Parliament. Do you know how long it takes me to write this post? I let you guess… I promise to cut this time by 30 % by September 2009. It’s like the climate change – I have to invest now in order to save energy in the future. It’s the only way to sustainable working in the European Parliament!

Vilnius

Vilnius has many faces. The old cosy Vilnius of cobbled winding streets. An open, cosmopolitan and tolerant Vilnius that invited foreigners to come and settle since 1323, that has Polish, Jewish, Russian and Byelorussian influences. A city of culture and education with its university dating back from 1579. A green town with rivers Neris and Vilnelė washing its banks. A Vilnius of Baroque with pearls of Gothicism and Classicism.

Angel

A strange and crazy Vilnius with the statue of Frank Zappa and a TV tower which becomes the biggest Christmas tree at the end of each year. A town that has a republic inside of it – “Užupis Republic” inhabited by artists celebrating its independence on April 1, watched over by a sculpture of an angel.

Uzupis

There is also a Vilnius which was occupied by foreign troops for many years and seen soviet tanks crushing people on January 13, 1990. A Vilnius that saw its 40 ancient churches transformed into warehouses (some got lucky – became museums or picture galleries) by the communists… There’s this horrifying feeling that catches you when you visit the KGB museum that used to be pointed at by a hand of a bronze Lenin

A Vilnius that still has a few soviet relicts, starting with mentality leftovers and ending with some ugly soviet blocks of flats baptised “Khruschevka”. A Vilnius that currently happens to have a homophobic mayor who refused to let the EU’s truck “For Diversity. Against Discrimination” into the city.

Vilnelė

Vilnius was burning down and resurrecting, occupied and breaking free. 2009 is one more occasion for revival: the capital of culture’s slogan for festivities is “culture live” that aims at authentic creation.

The year of culture has kicked of with a modern music and dance project @Hoffmann_ Nutcracker followed by a spectacular music and light show directed by Gert Hof. The highlights of the year include Art in Unusual Places, Vilnius Book Fair, Street Musician Day, “The Oak Mystery”, Culture Night and Water Music of Capital City. As Lithuania celebrates its millennium in 2009, other events like The Millennium Song Festival of Lithuania “Songs of the Centuries” are also not to be missed. Come and see it yourself.