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Public Matters celebrates 20 years of existence in Nieuwspoort

13-05-2022

Public Matters celebrated its lustrum at the Nieuwspoort Press Centre in The Hague. For twenty years Public Matters has strived to contribute to the profession of public affairs and a lasting relationship between government and business. A milestone that continues to taste for more.

In honor of our Lustrum, and the profession of public affairs, we have compiled a lustrum book based on interviews with various experts from politics, business and civil society. In the interviews they give their vision on the profession and various trends in the public affairs landscape are discussed. Here are some interviews with Morgan Cauvin (Match Group), Ilse Kaandorp (VGM NL), Maarten Verboom (Stichting Dedicon), Wendy de Wild (Koninklijke NVRD) and Niels Arntz (Temper). Minister Ernst Kuipers of Health, Welfare and Sport officially accepted the book.

Based on this anniversary book, we talked about the trends in the relationship between advocates and policymakers in an interactive panel discussion. In a discussion moderated by Thomas van Zijl (BNR), four panelists shared their views on various trends: Caelesta Braun (Professor of Public Governance & Civil Society, Leiden University), Erik Ziengs (entrepreneur and former Member of Parliament), Moni Wiltenburg (Head of Government Affairs, Dow NL) and Pieter Couwenbergh (journalist, Financieel Dagblad).

The discussion began with the question of whether good lobbying will survive in a politically fragmented landscape, to which the audience largely agreed. The topic of transparency generated a lively discussion about what valuable and effective standards for transparency could or should look like. Finally, we talked about the current status of trust between policymakers and advocates, and how the modus operandi in the public affairs profession is constantly changing.

We look back on an interesting and beautiful celebration with all those present, and hope to be of value in The Hague and Brussels in the years to come with the same expertise, creativity and focus on results.

"For twenty years, Public Matters has strived to contribute to the profession of public affairs and a lasting relationship between government and business."

Public matters

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