Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten calls for human-centered governance in annual lecture
Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten urged policymakers to prioritize humanity over rigid rules in her Herman Tjeenk Willink Lecture. She argued that wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance are essential to building a fairer society, emphasizing the need to see citizens as individuals, not just files or numbers.
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Third Herman Tjeenk Willink Lecture |
| Speaker | Carola Schouten, Mayor of Rotterdam |
| Location | Gothic Hall, Council of State, The Hague |
| Date | March 17, 2026 |
| Lecture Title | Following the law is not always doing what is right |
| Core Theme | Four cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, temperance |
| Previous Speakers | Herman Tjeenk Willink, Merel van Vroonhoven |
| Event Frequency | Biennial |
| Additional Contributors | Tim ‘s Jongers (political scientist), Carrie Jansen (columnist) |
The Council of State organizes the Herman Tjeenk Willink Lecture to explore the practical application of the democratic legal order, a theme central to Tjeenk Willink’s career. As an advisory body to the Dutch government and monarchy, the Council plays a key role in shaping governance and legal frameworks.
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Read the full translated article below
Carola Schouten delivers the third Herman Tjeenk Willink Lecture
On Tuesday, March 17, the third Herman Tjeenk Willink Lecture was held in the Gothic Hall of the Council of State in The Hague. Following the former Vice-President of the Council of State himself and Merel van Vroonhoven, teacher, supervisor, and columnist for *de Volkskrant*, it was Carola Schouten’s turn this time—Mayor of Rotterdam.
The Four Cardinal Virtues
In her lecture titled “Following the law is not always doing what is right,” she emphasizes the four cardinal virtues as the foundation for today’s society: wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance. Carola Schouten argues that humans and reality must be viewed and approached as a unified whole. Wisdom aids in understanding the bigger picture, justice demands flexible responses to individual circumstances, courage is needed to break through rules when they no longer serve their purpose, and temperance provides balance in action. By approaching people in their entirety, we can contribute to a more just and balanced society, she asserts.
“Yes, we live in a frenzied world. But precisely in such times, it becomes clear what a society truly rests upon. Not on power. Not on rules alone. But on people. Citizenship is not a status. Citizenship is a mission. It demands something from all of us. From policymakers. From professionals. From residents. It requires us to keep seeing the human being. Even when systems grow complex. Even when rules seem to take over. Even when opinions clash and tensions rise. Keep seeing the human being. See the human behind the file. See the human behind the problem. See the human behind the numbers. Because in the end, we are always more. More people who want to build than to destroy. More people who want to connect than to divide. More people who wish to leave their city, their country, and their world slightly better for the generation that follows. That is why we must continue to do what lies within our power. As Rotterdam. As The Hague. As the Netherlands. Step by step. Day by day. Because, in the end, a better society does not begin with grand words, but with something simpler. With the willingness to keep seeing one another. See the human.”
The full text of Carola Schouten’s lecture is available via a link on this page.
Spoken Columns
Following her lecture, two columns were delivered that expanded on the central theme. The first was by Tim ‘s Jongers, political scientist, public administration expert, and publicist, followed by that of Carrie Jansen, columnist and writer. Their contributions are also published here.
Biennial Event
The lecture was established by the Council to mark the 80th birthday of Tjeenk Willink on January 23, 2022. The theme of the lecture series is the democratic legal order in practice, a thread running through the professional life of Herman Tjeenk Willink. Minister of State Herman Tjeenk Willink served as Vice-President from July 1997 to January 2012. The lecture is held biennially.
Carola Schouten’s lecture and the two spoken columns by Tom 's Jongers and Carrie Jansen can be read here.