.jpg?itok=DgZtMT8b&width=2048&height=1152&impolicy=semi_dynamic "Rutte apologizes during press conference: “They came too late”")
Communication expert Lars Duursma is fascinated by Rutte’s apologies. “If you have a fight at home, you do not say: undoubtedly it could have been better, but … It seems as if you are apologizing, but in fact it is a fake apology,” he tells EditieNL. View Rutte’s apology here:
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Rutte also said that he thought he had fallen short in insisting on compliance with the basic rules. “But that’s something the people didn’t do well. Then it’s weird that he says: sorry people don’t follow it properly.”
Timing
Still, Duursma thinks it’s right that Rutte makes an apology, but this may not have been the right time. “You should not do that on the evening of the measures. That would overshadow the new measures too much.” Political scientist Gerard Drosterij also believes that the excuse came at the wrong time. “They came too late for those who were already disappointed,” he tells EditieNL.
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Drosterij sees in its environment that the measures are going wrong. “People who are normally loyal have also lost confidence a bit. He is trying to recover from the inconsistent policies.”
More attention
Drosterij still thinks that Rutte did the right thing by trying to apologize. “The problem is that Rutte talks very quickly and quickly, I think he should have paid more attention to it. Maybe even a special moment. Now he talks quickly around it so that it is less noticeable.”
All in all, this is not good for Rutte’s confidence, Duursma thinks. “But people must above all understand the importance of the measures: even if you don’t trust Rutte, you do it for others.”
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