Podcast series
De Kunst van Transparantie is a ten-part podcast series I developed together with Asha Narain and Publiek Denken, and where I co-host the conversation. Each episode explores one central question about power, trust, history or technology — in search of how transparent the Netherlands really is, and what that says about our democracy and our identity.
With Bas van Beek (investigative journalist) and Paul Frissen (political philosopher)
How transparent is the Netherlands, really? Investigative journalist Bas van Beek and political philosopher Paul Frissen on why government information so often stays locked away — and whether full openness is always desirable.
With Maarten Schurink (Secretary-General, Ministry of Defence) and Pascalle Grotenhuis (Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
What happens when openness causes harm to people or to state security? Maarten Schurink (Ministry of Defence) and Pascalle Grotenhuis (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) on the line between the right to information and the need to protect.
Column — Manuela Fun
“One distinction from the conversation stayed with me: protecting is different from concealing. Protecting means handling information carefully because disclosure could cause harm. Concealing means withholding information to avoid criticism.”
Read the column: Protecting is different from concealing
With Marja Wagenaar (former Member of Parliament and decision-making architect)
Why does openness remain so uncommon within government? Marja Wagenaar, former MP and decision-making expert, on the roots of a culture where caution and fear often prevail.
With Peter Burger (researcher in journalism and disinformation, Leiden University) and Marije Arentze (advisor on strategic resilience against disinformation)
How does trust form, how does it break down, and how is it rebuilt? Peter Burger (Leiden University) and Marije Arentze (TwynstraGudde) on disinformation and whether transparency truly restores trust.
Column — Manuela Fun
“Fact-checks and stricter rules are necessary, but they don't answer the real question: how do we keep a society together when people increasingly live in different realities?”
Read the column: We're fighting disinformation. But are we missing something bigger?
How does algorithmic decision-making affect government transparency? Using the childcare benefits scandal as a case study, this episode explores what happens when technology decides — without anyone being able to explain why.
Transparency is not only a democratic value but also a strategic tool. A political analyst and lobby expert on power dynamics in international trade relations, and on who benefits when information becomes public.
A crisis manager and a policymaker reflect on decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the tension between transparency, speed, safety and accountability when a crisis demands immediate action.
How open is the Netherlands about its colonial history? This episode examines the barriers to accessing colonial archives, and what accountability for historical concealment could look like.
How does narrative framing in policy and journalism shape national identity? This episode asks which stories remain untold, and whose perspectives are underrepresented in the dominant narrative.
The closing episode of the series reflects on everything the conversations revealed about openness, power and trust — and what that says about who we are as a country.