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Football hooliganism periodically generates widespread political and public anxiety. In spite of the efforts made and resources invested over the past decades, football hooliganism is still perceived by politicians, policymakers and media as a disturbing social problem. This highly readable book provides the first systematic and empirically grounded comparison of football hooliganism in different national and local contexts. Focused around the six Western European football clubs on which the author did his research, the book shows how different clubs experience and understand football hooliganism in different ways. - Supportersgeweld rond voetbalwedstrijden is geregeld aanleiding tot aanzienlijke maatschappelijke verontwaardiging. Dit boek plaatst hooliganisme en de bestrijding ervan in een internationaal vergelijkend perspectief. Het beschrijft de aard en ontwikkeling van hooliganisme bij zes West-Europese voetbalclubs: Feyenoord, Sparta Rotterdam, West Ham United, Fulham, FC Barcelona en Espanyol. Aangetoond wordt dat verschillende voetbalclubs supportersgeweld op verschillende wijzen ervaren en interpreteren. Het boek beschrijft op gedetailleerde wijze hoe de geweldsopvattingen, collectieve identiteit en rivaliteiten van hooligans tot stand komen en hoe deze zich verhouden tot de dominante club- en supporterscultuur. De sociale interactie tussen hooligans, supporters en autoriteiten staat hierbij centraal. Ramón Spaaij pleit voor een multi-institutioneel beleid met een grotere nadruk op sociale preventie. Hij wijst op het belang van het terugdringen van de drijfveren van hooliganisme, in het bijzonder de agressieve masculiene normen en de soms alomvattende wij-zijtegenstellingen van hooligans. Hij pleit voor de terugkomst van de gematigde fan met ware liefde voor het spel.

Which rights and obligations arise from the EU principle prohibiting unjust enrichment? This is the first publication to thoroughly examine the consequences this principle has - or may have - for private law relationships. An illuminating analysis, bearing both academic and practical importance. As the interplay between EU law and national private law intensifies, the question arises how the EU principle prohibiting unjust enrichment plays into various legal relationships involving one or more individuals. Unjust enrichment in European Union law takes a pioneering step in addressing this pressing issue. The author puts forward a compelling analysis, taking into account the functions of unjust enrichment in a number of national law systems and the functions of general principles of EU law, as well as case law of the Court of Justice of the EU. For analytic purposes, links are identified between EU causes of action based on undue payment, unjust enrichment and unlawful act, respectively. This is followed by a discussion whether or not such actions should be founded on violation of an EU provision having direct (horizontal) effect. Insight into the possible consequences of the EU principle prohibiting unjust enrichment has both academic and practical importance. The reader gains a deeper understanding of how the Court of Justice may further develop EU law on the basis of private-law principles. The study illuminates which rights individuals may derive from such legal principles and - if they can do so - under which circumstances

Third and last part of the basic work 'Thinking about religion' by Valeer Neckebrouck Met Part III. Contemporary Perspectives, author Valeer Neckebrouck has come to the conclusion of the chronologically conceived series Thinking about Religion. Anthropological theory and religion. The study of the anthropology of religion is discussed in this last part from the most leading contemporary models and perspectives. The secularization theories, postmodernism, feminism, neo-Darwinism and the cognitive anthropology of religion are discussed in detail, but also thinkers such as René Girard, Walter Burkert, Edward O. Wilson and Richard Dawkins are reviewed. The treatment of contemporary theoretical perspectives in the anthropological study of religion concerns areas of research that are still in constant flux, insights that are still in full development. Almost every day new discoveries are made in biology, some of which require a radical revision of insights that were previously regarded as established achievements. Because our knowledge of biology and neurology is constantly evolving, its balance has to be rewritten again and again. With this third part of the Thinking about religion series, Valeer Neckebrouck has undeniably made an important contribution to this. In this final volume Neckebrouck presents the reader with a thorough analysis and critical evaluation of the various theoretical systems with which great and lesser minds from recent Western cultural history have attempted to clarify the enigmatic phenomenon of "religion" from an anthropological point of view. For anyone interested in the phenomenon of "religion" and wanting to know how anthropologists have thought about religion throughout history, this trilogy is an indispensable and very richly detailed reference book. Until now, such a detailed description and critical evaluation of the subject matter has not been available in any language area

This remarkablpe title describes the life of one of Holland's most remarkable figures: medical practitioner Van Dieren (1861-1940), Amsterdammer and prolific writer who caused quite a stir in his days. The author recounts the life and times of Van Dieren in the form of a series of narratives about the fights of this Dutch Don Quixote with his particular windmills. Individual chapters deal with his life, work, personal style, friendships and enmities, his discussions with psychoanalysts, socialists, scientists and above all of his tragic-comical failures. Unique source material is used to reconstruct this picture, such as the correspondence between Van Dieren and a large number of well-known Dutchmen, including novelist Van Eeden, Nobel laureate C.Eijkman, the philosopher Bolland, politician De Savornin Lohman, Queen Emma, and many others. Marginality and non-conformity are the key themes that run through the life of this observer which made him one of the most successful failures in Dutch history. - Evart van Dieren, een kroniek van het falen beschrijft het leven van een van de markantste figuren uit de Nederlandse cultuurgeschiedenis. De inmiddels vergeten Amsterdamse arts/publicist Van Dieren (1861-1940) genoot in zijn tijd grote bekendheid. Toch is hij altijd een buitenstaander gebleven. In dit boek komen het leven en werk van deze Nederlandse Don Quichot ruimschoots aan bod. Hiervoor is geput uit uniek bronmateriaal, waaronder briefwisselingen tussen Van Dieren en een groot aantal bekende Nederlanders zoals Van Eeden, Verwey, Polak, Eijkman en koningin Emma. Marginaliteit en vervreemding zijn de leidende thema's in het leven van deze opvallende persoonlijkheid. Het maakte hem tot een van de succesvolste mislukkelingen uit de vaderlandse geschiedenis.

1 Inleiding: de loyale Ivo (Liesbeth A Campo, Thomas Beukers, Mielle Bulterman, Marianne Gijzen, Jurian Langer, Louise van Spronsen) -- Deel I De waarden van de Europese Unie -- 2 De loyale samenwerkingsverplichting tussen de EU en haar Lidstaten: bespiegelingen over de praktische uitvoering van deze kernnorm (Ben Smulders) -- 3 O campo preto. Op zoek naar een Portugese Zwartveld (Rick Lawson) -- 4 Rule of law protection and the July 2020 European Council on the MFF (John Morijn) -- 5 Een kwestie van lange adem (Roeland Böcker) -- 6 De twee Hoven van Europa, enkele beschouwingen (Babette Koopman) -- 7 'Loyale samenwerking' tussen het EU-Hof en het EHRM (Guus de Vries) -- Deel II De institutionele dimensie van de Europese Unie -- 8 Loyale samenwerking in inter-institutionele dossiers: 'Mission impossible' of 'Work in progress'? (Hélène Stergiou) -- 9 Een bijzonder geval: de loyaliteit van een vertrekkende lidstaat (Martijn de Grave) -- 10 Het Verdrag van Lissabon en het Comitologie besluit: over macht en draagvlak in de Europese juridische ruimte (Marianne de Jong & Thijs van der Plas) -- 11 Heerlijk Helder Unierecht (Hanna Sevenster & Corinna Wissels) -- 12 De loyale prejudiciële dialoog tussen de Nederlandse rechter en het Europees Hof van Justitie: je vous comprends – moi non plus? (Stefaan van der Jeught) -- 13 Tijdigheid van implementatie van EU-richtlijnen in Nederland in vergelijking met andere lidstaten (Leo Vester) -- 14 Goede trouw en samenwerking tussen EU-instellingen en lidstaten bij overgang tussen opeenvolgende EU verdragen: Het Verdrag van Amsterdam (P.J. Kuijper) -- Deel III De materiële dimensie van de Europese Unie -- 15 Van uitlevering naar overlevering: enige persoonlijke observaties over 35 jaar Europese ontwikkeling (Marjorie A.C.L.M. Bonn) -- 16 Het vrij verkeer van eten en drinken. Een tour langs 'oude bekenden' uit de rechtspraak van het Hof (Klaas Sevinga) -- 17 Over 'loyale' en afhankelijke familiebanden: Unieburgerschap, ruiz zambrano en de betekenis daarvan in de Nederlandse rechtspraak (Hanneke van Eijken) -- Deel IV De sociale dimensie van de Europese Unie -- 18 Loyale samenwerking en de A1-verklaringen bij de toepassing van de socialezekerheidsverordeningen 883/2004 en 987/2009 (Herwig Verschueren) -- 19 De coördinatie van bestaansminimumuitkeringen in de Europese Unie: terugblikken en vooruitkijken (Gijsbert Vonk) -- 20 Het spanningsveld van loyale samenwerking: de casus van de export van werkloosheidsuitkeringen (Frans Pennings) -- Deel V De externe betrekkingen van de Europese Unie -- 21 Eenheid in het externe optreden? De samenwerking tussen de Europese Unie en de lidstaten in de praktijk (Liesbeth A Campo) -- 22 Whales are not fish: the choice of the correct legal basis in EU external relations (Laurens Ankersmit) -- 23 The Exercise of Non-Exclusive External Competences and the Principle of Sincere Cooperation (Philip Strik) -- 24 Nauwere samenwerking binnen de EU en de WTO (Thomas Nauta) -- 25 The Principle of Loyal Cooperation in EU Foreign and Security Policy (Ramses A. Wessel) -- 26 Brexit bezien vanuit het recht en de praktijk van de externe betrekkingen van de Europese Unie (Thomas Beukers) -- 27 De Nederlandse Hofpraktijk en Ivo van der Steen: van agent tot inspirator, sparringpartner en pleitbezorger van het belang van Buitenlandse Zaken (Marianne Gijzen & Jurian Langer)

This new study of the genesis of the Indonesian national state is based on the notion that the birth of that nation grew out of not only the liberation movement but also from the Dutch rule that the nationalists agitated against. The book places a clear emphasis on the ways in which Dutch rule was established in the Indonesian archipelago in the course of three centuries and examines the developments of Dutch colonial policies. This feeds into chapters that focus on the Indonesian nationalist movement and the Japanese occupation of the colony in 1942-1945.The occupation helped to enable the proclamation of Indonesian indepence and the creation of the Republic in August 1945. The conflict that erupted between the Repub-lic and the Netherlands was brought to an incomplete 'solution' in 1949, but the dis-pute about West-Irian led to a sequel that lasted for another thirteen years. More than half of this book is dedicated to the conflict and its aftermath. Much attention is paid to the sentiments and ideas that informed Dutch policy. Various issues that have received scant attention in the historiography are now dis-cussed. The author based his study on Dutch and international literature, contemporary newspapers and policy documents, and his own memories. In the book's title, the stork represents the Dutch and the garuda functions as a symbol of Indonesia. J. Herman Burgers (1926) worked at the Dutch Department of Foreign Affairs. He studied Law in Amsterdam and Political Science at Stanford University. He was deeply interested in the conflict between the Netherlands and the Republic of Indone-sia, as it broke out in 1945. This fascination has never left him, and he has continued to study the conflict and its aftermath, especially during the years 1948-1950 when he was in Indonesia for his Dutch military service

The second and updated edition of this new study of the genesis of the Indonesian national state is based on the notion that the birth of that nation grew out of not only the liberation movement but also from the Dutch rule that the nationalists agitated against. The book places a clear emphasis on the ways in which Dutch rule was established in the Indonesian archipelago in the course of three centuries and examines the developments of Dutch colonial policies. This feeds into chapters that focus on the Indonesian nationalist movement and the Japanese occupation of the colony in 1942-1945. The occupation helped to enable the proclamation of Indonesian indepence and the creation of the Republic in August 1945. The conflict that erupted between the Repub-lic and the Netherlands was brought to an incomplete 'solution' in 1949, but the dis-pute about West-Irian led to a sequel that lasted for another thirteen years. More than half of this book is dedicated to the conflict and its aftermath. Much attention is paid to the sentiments and ideas that informed Dutch policy.

Various issues that have received scant attention in the historiography are now dis-cussed. The author based his study on Dutch and international literature, contemporary newspapers and policy documents, and his own memories. In the book's title, the stork represents the Dutch and the garuda functions as a symbol of Indonesia.

J. Herman Burgers (1926) worked at the Dutch Department of Foreign Affairs. He studied Law in Amsterdam and Political Science at Stanford University. He was deeply interested in the conflict between the Netherlands and the Republic of Indone-sia, as it broke out in 1945. This fascination has never left him, and he has continued to study the conflict and its aftermath, especially during the years 1948-1950 when he was in Indonesia for his Dutch military service.

Het boek Analyzing narrative reality gaat in op de reflexieve relatie tussen het construeren van een narratief en de context waarin dit plaatsvindt. In de inleiding van het boek positioneren de auteurs, beiden hoogleraar in de sociologie, zich binnen het veld van narratieve analyse. Zij zijn de mening toegedaan dat narratieve analyse binnen de sociale wetenschappen een vrij beperkte focus heeft. In deze benadering worden verhalen doorgaans op band opgenomen, om vervolgens in tekst te worden omgezet. Centraal staat het analyseren van de interne structuur van een tekst, bijvoorbeeld op thema's en opbouw. Deze benadering verwaarloost volgens de auteurs de specifieke omstandigheden waarin het narratief tot stand is gekomen. Een uitsluitend op tekst gebaseerde analyse doet geen recht aan de dynamiek en contingentie van de realiteit waarin een narratief gesitueerd is en gevormd wordt.Het doel van dit boek is om met behulp van de etnografische methode een analytisch kader te ontwikkelen dat recht kan doen aan deze narratieve realiteit.Het boek is geschreven voor sociale wetenschappers, van studenten tot ervaren wetenschappers, voor wie teksten alleen niet (meer) toereikend zijn.Het boek is onderverdeeld in vier delen die op elkaar voortbouwen. Elk deel bestaat uit een aantal korte hoofdstukken die elk een specifiek concept centraal stellen, zoals de rol van cultuur, relaties en status binnen de constructie van een narratief. Vervolgens worden excerpten uit interviewmateriaal gebruikt om elk concept empirisch in te bedden. Elk hoofdstuk wordt afgesloten met een korte samenvatting.In deel I werken de auteurs hun specifieke etnografische methode verder uit.Etnografie is een basisvorm van kwalitatief onderzoek. In het algemeen verwijst zij naar een beschrijvende studie van alledaagse leefwijzen en praktijken van volken of (deel)collectiviteiten. De auteurs benadrukken dat het hun gaat om een specifieke toepassing van etnografisch onderzoek, namelijk narratieve etnografie (p. 22). Dit is een methode die niet uitsluitend gericht is op een narratief in de zin van een platte tekst, maar een methode van dataverzameling en -analyse die de relaties tussen omstandigheden, actoren en handelingen in relatie tot het formuleren van een narratief gelijktijdig onderzoekt en analyseert. Dit betekent dat je als onderzoeker ter plekke de context moet vastleggen door middel van directe observatie, audio- en videoregistratie en aantekeningen. Hoe je als onderzoeker de omstandigheden empirisch kunt vastleggen en vervolgens kunt analyseren, wordt toegelicht in deel II en III.Deel II gaat in op de verschillende praktijken die een rol spelen bij de totstandkoming van een verhaal, zoals de relatie tussen de verteller en de luisteraar, de rol van non-verbale houdingen en machtsfactoren. Welke verhalen kunnen worden verteld en welke niet? Om als kwalitatief onderzoeker gevoel voor deze aspecten te ontwikkelen, is het volgens de auteurs van belang om niet alleen af te gaan op hetgeen de geïnterviewde zegt, maar onder meer ook aantekeningen van de situatie te maken, aanverwanten te interviewen en vast te leggen hoe een verhaal verteld wordt. Welke nadrukken worden gelegd? Hoe wordt een verhaal ondersteund met gebaren?In deel III zoomen de auteurs in op de invloed van omgevingsfactoren zoals relaties, openbare gelegenheden, lokale cultuur, banen en status op de totstandkoming van narratieven. Hoewel deze omgevingsfactoren niet allesbepalend zijn, vormen ze wel de horizon waartegen narratieven tot stand komen. Verhalen en betekenissen kunnen veranderen zodra deze omgevingsfactoren veranderen, aldus de auteurs. Voor de kwalitatieve onderzoeker is het van belang te bepalen in hoeverre de omgevingsfactoren van invloed zijn op wat wel of niet verteld wordt. De auteurs laten zien hoe je als kwalitatieve onderzoeker door middel van het stellen van bepaalde vragen en observaties sensitief kan worden voor deze omgevingsfactoren.Deel IV, het laatste deel, behandelt de kwesties van narratieve adequaatheid en kwaliteitscontrole, namelijk wat is een goed narratief en wat geldt als goede data? Om deze vragen te beantwoorden moet de kwalitatieve onderzoeker niet beginnen met abstracte, algemene standaarden om de validiteit en betrouwbaarheid van data te evalueren. De auteurs adviseren te beginnen bij het materiaal, bij de lokale praktijk, en te beoordelen welke criteria de onderzochten zelf hanteren in het beoordelen van een verhaal als 'goed' of 'adequaat'. Wat geldt bijvoorbeeld in de context van het straatleven als een goed verhaal? Uit welke elementen bestaat zo'n verhaal?

POLITICS BY PROVINCE: Goal-oriented rational action or value-oriented rational action in closed debate on the Wadden region and public consultation on the ecological infrastructure General This thesis is a study of political conduct, and of provincial politics in particular. It is based on three research projects. The first two research projects are empirical studies that examine, respectively, the functioning of the discussion platform for government bodies relating to the Wadden Islands area and the relationship between the regional press and provincial political organs. Each of these two projects is based on a defined problem, a theoretical framework, methodology and conclusions. Although both case studies deal with provincial politics, they are completely separate from each other. The third case study is theoretical. It seeks to clarify the rationalization theories of Max Weber and Karl Mannheim, and place the concepts of goaloriented rational action and value-oriented rational action in their theoretical context. This theoretical chapter produces a number of research questions that can be used as a 'rationality grid' to be applied to the two empirical case studies in order to determine what form of action, goal-rational or value-rational, characterizes provincial politics. Chapter One describes the background to the studies and gives a short introduction to the research themes. This chapter also presents a view of contemporary provincial politics and discusses the scientific position from which this thesis has been written, emphasizing the unique role of the sociological vision. How does the government manage the Wadden Sea? The first section examines the way in which the government manages the Wadden Sea. The study is based on an evaluation study of the functioning of the Coördinatiecollege Waddengebied (CCW) in the period 1987 to 1994. The CCW (a platform for administrative consultation between the government, the Wadden provinces and the Wadden municipalities) was set up in 1980 for the purpose of "ensuring coherent administration and an coordinated policy by the government, provinces and municipalities with regard to the Wadden region." The study is based on a bottleneck analysis; in other words, by identifying problems, concrete solutions can be proposed. The evaluation study employed a combination of two popular lines of research in organizational sociology literature – the 'whole-system approach' and the 'parties approach'. In the whole-system approach, shared values or a feeling of solidarity are what unites the organization. In the parties approach, the organization is seen as a coalition of parties with different interests and aims. The parties work together for their own benefit, or because negative sanctions force them to do so. Both approaches are integrated in the 'parties-withina-system' perspective, which focuses on the relationships between the parties and the organization as a whole. This integral approach was used to evaluate the functioning of the CCW because the CCW places great emphasis on shared values and responsibilities, which are the core elements of the whole-system approach. At the same time, however, the CCW is composed of different parties which all have their own tasks, powers and interests – the core elements of the parties approach. This perspective has been tailored to the evaluation of the CCW using the following criteria: shared values, support base, differing interests, power structure, sense of purpose, and success/failure factors. The study is based on qualitative interviews with participants in the CCW platforms, telephone interviews with councillors and members of the States General, dossier analyses and reconstructions from minutes from the CCW consultations on the following cases: enlarging the scope of the Nature Conservation Act; delegation of powers with regard to inspection and control; co-ordination of international activities, problems relating to 'traditional brown shipping'; the review of the Waddenzee II Key Planning Decision, and gas extraction in the Wadden Sea. This treatment of the original research report emphasizes a systematic description of conduct within the context of the administrative co-ordination of the Wadden region, which is usually of a closed nature. The main problem areas are the following:  a lack of shared values due to the fact that the purpose of the Wadden consultation platform is given a different interpretation depending on the interests in question;  by way of preparation for the Wadden consultations, a process of harmonization takes place within the various authorities, thereby creating an administrative support base. However, this process of preliminary consultation and feedback reveals the other side of the bureaucratic coin – this circuit is, administratively and politically speaking, strongly inward-looking;  there are no substantial conflicts of interest between the layers of government. However, mutual suspicion exists with regard to the extent to which other parties are committed to the Wadden policy. Each party suspects that the other parties will ultimately allow economic interests to prevail;  with regard to the delegation of authority, the balance of power between the government and the provinces is seen as unacceptable. The continuous lack of consensus, whether manifest or otherwise, is a barrier to discussion on a equal footing;  there are various problems relating to the sense of purpose, including the role of the Chairman and the lack of a clear definition/delegation of tasks. This analysis shows that the problems are not related to the structure of the Wadden consultative platform but rather to its culture, and more specifically to the participants' perceptions of the role and responsibilities of the platform. In addition, there appears to be a distinct lack of leadership. The main conclusions are as follows:  harmonization within the various Wadden authorities (government, provinces and municipalities) hampers harmonization between the Wadden authorities;  the representatives from the three layers of government do not present the role and purpose of the consultative platform in a consistent and uniform way;  the CCW is hampered in its work by an ongoing debate about how powers are delegated between the layers of government. Because the analysis of success and failure factors revealed that clearly defined relationships between the government authorities are essential for successful consultation, possible solutions aim to create that clarity. Recommendations have been laid down, for example, relating to the role of the Chairman, drawing up the agenda, and clearly defining the tasks of the various bodies. Although, as far back as 1995, the CCW largely acknowledged the problem areas and supported the proposals for improvement, none of the recommendations will actually be implemented before 2001. Politics and the press on the ecological infrastructure in Friesland and Drenthe Section 2 describes a study of the relationship between the regional press and northern provincial politics. The basis for the study is the political decision-making regarding the establishment of the ecological infrastructure in the provinces of Friesland and Drenthe in the period 1989 to 1996. The conclusion of a survey of the relationship between the printed press and parliamentary democracy is that the main function of the press is to provide information, criticism and comment. The role of information-provider is examined on the basis of the following:  actual report of a meeting of the Provincial Councils;  a news report giving information about matters relating to the ecological infrastructure in both provinces;  a background article describing the context, history and/or different interpretations of matters relating to the ecological infrastructure. The role of critic is examined on the basis of the following:  editorial comment;  a column in which one of the editors gives his opinion under his own name;  opinions of third parties, in which a third party, who is not an editor, is given the opportunity to express an opinion. Using four recent examples, it is then argued that the central question relating to the relationship between politics and the press is one of management – who controls political communication or, put another way, is the relationship determined by 'party logic' or by 'media logic'? The study will compare decision-making on the ecological infrastructure (as this was perceived in decision-making meetings of the provincial councils) with reporting by the regional press in both provinces. The decision-making process of the provincial councils was reconstructed for this purpose. The result is not only an analytical reconstruction of the decision-making surrounding the ecological infrastructure in Friesland and Drenthe, but also a chronicle of provincial political customs and morals. A quantitative and qualitative analysis subsequently shows how the regional press fulfils its role as information provider and critic. The quantitative analysis addresses the question of how often the press fulfils its role as information provider and critic with regard to decision-making on the ecological infrastructure. The qualitative analysis addresses the question of how the press fulfils those roles. It is argued that the quality of the information provided is determined by the degree of objectivity, but that the best measure of quality is a clear standpoint. These conclusions were used to formulate an 'ideal' against which the quality of informative and critical articles can be measured. A factual report is as objective as possible when:  it deals not only with the decision itself, but also with the opinion-forming process;  it gives the opinion not only of the representatives of official bodies, but also of opponents or those outside such bodies;  the reporter does not give his own opinion. A news report or background article is as objective as possible when:  it presents more than one perspective and/or quotes more than one authority on the subject. An editorial or column makes a constructive critical contribution when:  the author adopts a clear standpoint;  the context (history, background or current event) of that standpoint is given;  the author describes how the standpoint was reached, and on which information or authorities it is based. Conclusions about the information function:  in almost half of the cases, the regional newspapers do not report on provincial council meetings relating to the ecological infrastructure. The people who live in the province, but fall outside a given environmental or agricultural target group, will not become informed about the ecological infrastructure by reading their local newspaper. Neither will they become informed about the role of the provincial government in this;  in the reports which do deal with meetings of the provincial councils, there is a lack of balance. Generally speaking, no effort is made in such reports to show the full palette of political colours represented in the provincial council;  there is only relatively wide newspaper coverage on occasions when political emotions are running high. Examples are: Friesland in 1993, when an agreement was reached with the agricultural sector, and Drenthe in 1993, when an amended programme of intent for the soil-protection areas was introduced (the agricultural lobby also played an important role in this). This attention from the press can be explained by incident politics. Political groups hold widely different opinions; they make no effort to hide their differences and journalists are keen to pick up on this. Another possible explanation is that, in these cases, ecological policy is heavily influenced by the farming lobby, which itself is strongly supported by influential political groups;  the news reports are usually brief and present an event from only one perspective, without a journalistic contribution from the author. This leads to the inevitable conclusion that press releases sent to the newspapers have been published without any further interpretation;  the most common simple perspective is that which opposes the ecological infrastructure;  there are very few background articles. Background articles that clarify the situation, and outline the problems confronting provincial politicians, are indispensable with regard to a far-reaching and complex plan such as the development of the ecological infrastructure of the two provinces;  it is notable that most of the background articles are only written from one perspective, with very little informative context. On the basis of these findings, it appears that the way in which the regional press fulfils its role as information provider leaves room for improvement. Scant attention is paid to council decision-making and the quality of reporting also leaves something to be desired. Little can be said about how the press fulfils the role as critic because so few articles appear in this context. The question Who controls political communication? cannot therefore be answered because the press pays too little attention to provincial politics. Goal-oriented or value-oriented rationality: which form of rationality determines political action? Section 3 examines which form of rationality (i.e. goal-oriented or value-oriented rationality) occurs most in the closed discussions between government bodies in the Wadden study, or in public discussions on the ecological infrastructure from the study of the relationship between politics and the press. For this purpose the rationalization theories from the work of Weber and Mannheim were used. Both Weber and Mannheim recognise increasing instrumental and formal rationality (Weber) and functional rationality (Mannheim) in all areas of life, and a decrease in material rationality (Weber) and substantial rationality (Mannheim). Weber and Mannheim identify the rise and influence of a specific form of instrumental rationality, particularly within economic, legal and bureaucratic institutions. Within such institutions, actions are characterized by goal-oriented rationality. This means that the prevalent institutional pattern of norms and values that more or less prescribes how people should act within the institutions (role-related behaviour) places great emphasis on goal-rational behaviour. In order to establish whether this also applies in provincial politics and administration, a study was made of the conception of rationality in the work of Weber and Mannheim. The question of whether goal-oriented or value-oriented rationality is dominant is addressed by a secondary analysis of the material. The secondary analysis takes the form of a 'rationality grid' that is applied to the material from the two empirical studies. The grid has a coarsely meshed structure that can separate out goal-oriented and value-oriented rationality. Following the study of Weber and Mannheim's concepts of rationality, goal-oriemted rational action is defined in this study as action that is geared towards finding the most appropriate means to achieve a goal that is considered as given. When action is successful in terms of the defined goal, we speak of goal-oriented rational action and formal rationality. Success or effectiveness is therefore the measure for goal-rational behaviour. The essence of this concept is expressed in the following questions:  is conduct geared towards resources and procedures within the given of administrative co-ordination or within the structured political (provincial) discussions?  are the goals open to discussion? If action is a logical extension of or derives from a higher value or ideal, we speak of 'valueoriented rational action' and 'material rationality'. The extent to which an action is valueoriented is therefore the measure for value-rationality. In this study, value-oriented rational action is defined as action that is based on the assessment of the desirability of a given goal by means of a party-political value system. The essence of the concept, as used in the present context, is expressed in the following question:  is the action geared towards assessing the desirability of a particular goal, based on a political value system? Conclusions: 1. With regard to discussion between government bodies on the subject of the Wadden region, the hypothesis was that, within the sphere of formalised and regulated administrative co-ordination in the Wadden region, actions are largely determined by goal-oriented rationality. The purpose of the discussion platform is, after all, to co-ordinate and realise goals defined elsewhere. The hypothesis is confirmed – the Wadden discussion platform is characterized by goal-oriented rational action. But this type of action is not related to the ultimate goal of the discussion platform but rather to another goal: the increasing of the influence and governance of the government layer in question. 2. With regard to the decision-making on the ecological infrastructure in Friesland and Drenthe, the hypothesis was that political decision-making debates are characterized by the discussion of values to be lived up to and aims to be realised. It is therefore to be expected that such debates are mainly characterized by value-oriented rationality. However, the findings do not confirm this hypothesis. The discussions of the provincial councils of Drenthe and Friesland are certainly not goal-rational in nature, yet neither can they be described as valuerational. Actions are indeed geared towards assessing the desirability of a particular goal, but that assessment is not based on a political value system. It is not party-political principles that determine political conduct; it would be more true to say that conduct is based on notions of consistency in terms of policy and support.