On 19 September, NIMD and ProDemos held a network event on international leadership. The event brought together ambassadors based in the Netherlands, Members of the Dutch Parliament, policy-makers and representatives of Dutch political youth organizations.

The network event, which is organized annually by NIMD and ProDemos, was held on Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day) – an important date in the Dutch political calendar, when the King reads a speech outlining government policy for the year ahead.

This year, the event explored the role of leaders faced with recent changes in the international political landscape.These changes have thrown up new challenges which our leaders cannot easily solve. With global power shifts, regional instability and the effects of the financial crisis, the Social Contract – as defined by Jean-Jacques Rousseau – seems to be broken. This is also underlined by terrorism and immigration, fuelling a steeper rise in populism.

As keynote speaker, Professor Rob de Wijk, Director of the The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, kicked off the event, addressing the role of political leaders faced with this new reality and proposing possible ways to mend the broken Social Contract.

The participants were then invited to engage in debate on this topic, putting forward their own insights on the role of political leaders in today’s world. The discussion was structured around statements given by the the Chairs of the youth wings of several Dutch political parties. These short and snappy statements inspired a lively debate on topics affecting leadership, ranging from the role of values in international diplomacy to the effects of social media.

Following the event, the ambassadors, MPs and young organization members had the opportunity to network and discuss their ideas further in an informal environment.