De digitale coalitieplannen: gaat het ook echt gebeuren? - Bert Hubert's writings
a day ago
- The coalition agreement includes ambitious digital plans: centralized ICT in government, mandatory standards, a 'Digital Service' with enforcement power, moving away from US clouds, and national stress tests for digital autonomy.
- Implementation faces major hurdles: a decentralized ICT culture, heavy reliance on US big tech, and resistance from government IT staff, consultants, and officials who prefer the status quo.
- Key political figures include State Secretaries Willemijn Aerdts (digital economy & sovereignty) and Eric van der Burg (kingdom relations & effective government), with potential involvement from Minister Vincent Karremans on digital infrastructure.
- A positive update: Eelco Eerenberg, a new candidate for State Secretary of Finance with IT background, could help the troubled Tax Authority's IT systems.
- Tensions remain over transferring ICT units between ministries (BZK and EZ), creating uncertainty about the fate of the planned 'Dutch Digital Service'.
- The coalition agreement is silent on the previously praised National Digitalization Strategy (NDS), which was criticized for involving US-dominated NLDigital to reduce US dependency.
- A controversial LinkedIn post from the Strategic Supplier Management Microsoft Rijk downplaying risks of Microsoft dependency was quickly deleted, suggesting possible change in attitude.
- The author warns that without top-down enforcement from a strong Digital Service, the government's big-tech marine culture will persist, further increasing dangerous US dependency.