Hanneke Groenteman will speak on May 7 at the 20th Willem Arondéus lecture Opens an external link from the Provincial States of North Holland. A lecture on the theme of freedom, in tribute to resistance fighter Willem Arondéus. For this anniversary, three former speakers reflect on their lecture and give their views on freedom in 2025. This time: Step Vaessen, reporter for Al Jazeera.

Have your ideas about freedom changed since your lecture in 2012?

“I still believe we must strive for freedom for as many people as possible in this world. That we are equal and that we give everyone a voice. But we have taken a wrong turn because freedom is being undermined. We have gone back to an era where a few people are in charge and the rest are subordinate to that. I am indeed concerned about current developments. The marginalization of people is not only happening on social media, but you also see political leaders pointing fingers at certain groups and people to create a fear image. 

As a journalist, I covered the elections in Germany in February, and there I saw the far-right party AFD becoming the second party. And Geert Wilders also pushes Muslims into a certain corner. I find that very dangerous. You might think: theyre just words, but if you keep saying it, people see them as enemies. It then becomes a kind of free pass to use physical violence. And what happened 80 years ago is still fresh in our memory.”

You also spoke about the positive and negative sides of social media. How do you view that now?

“It is much worse than I could have ever imagined. 13 years ago were the early years of Twitter and Facebook, but we did not really realize how powerful those tools would become. In the early years, social media had a revolutionary effect because poor people in, for example, Indonesia who had no access to media could suddenly make their voices heard. I found that groundbreaking at the time. The idea that social media is for everyone is now being undermined. It has fallen into the hands of wealthy individuals, such as Elon Musk. He controls the flow of information. Then it has nothing to do with democracy and equality.

I find X almost poison when you look at what is said and written. It is almost solely hate or calls to hate against people with different opinions. That is very dangerous.”

Are there still people today who dare to speak out for freedom?

“I think there certainly are, but the risks have become greater. You see that people think more carefully before they speak out. And that there are fewer of them. If I say something on TV, I am enormously attacked on social media with the most personal hateful comments you can imagine. I have decided to completely ignore it. But I think that people who are dependent on their employer or have certain responsibilities no longer have the freedom to take that space. 
The freedom of speech is increasingly being suppressed. Journalists are also silenced or intimidated. And journalists are sometimes not alert enough to remain independent in their reporting.”

Do you have an example?

“After the riots surrounding the football match Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv, there was a press conference where pogrom and antisemitism were discussed. It was clear to journalists that the story was a bit more nuanced, due to the lead-up with provocations and violence. But that was completely overlooked. And no journalist asked questions about that. I then asked why nothing was said about it. Later a journalist said: How good that you asked that question. I then asked him why he didnt ask that question. There was not really an answer to that. But I find that quite disturbing. That seems to be a bit of self-censorship where you avoid the risk of being attacked. Or that you do not follow what fits with the news organization you work for.” 

How do we involve groups that are not so concerned with freedom?

“In the Netherlands, we have become accustomed to the fact that democracy is simply there. It is a given that we do nothing further with. But I feel that democracy is a verb. You have to work on it and be aware of it. Journalists are also important in that. They ask critical questions to political leaders. But they now throw us under the bus. We are labeled as sensationalists and bring fake news. But it is precisely those leaders who must explain that journalists belong to the democratic system. And we must also bring that more to attention in schools. Why have we chosen a democratic system? Who has which role in it? And why are journalists important?

You see a big difference with a country like Indonesia where democracy is younger. Young people there are more aware of it and stand up for it. When President Joko Widodo decided that his son should become vice president, the youth immediately took to the streets.”

What quality of Willem Arondéus should everyone have more?

“Courage. You really need courage to dare to go against the tide. I firmly believe that there are always people like Willem Arondéus who dare to stand up. The risks are greater than 10 years ago. But the risks are not as great as they were 80 years ago. And you dont have to do it alone. The most important thing is that you feel connected to people. And that you occasionally stand up for someone on social media or wherever. You have to do it together. The lonelier you feel in that struggle, the harder it becomes. It is important to join forces.”

Visit the lecture on May 7

Hanneke Groenteman will speak at the Willem Arondéus lecture on May 7, 2025, in the Grote of St. Bavokerk in Haarlem. Doors open at 20:00. Start at 20:30. Admission is free. Registration for the lecture is mandatory and can be done via this form Opens an external link .