Lecture ‘Trust’ | Josse de Voogd

18 September 2026 | 8.00 pm | Karel van Zweden Lodge, Zaadmarkt 97, Zutphen

Trust is based on expectation. The expectation that someone is trustworthy. The expectation that the outcome of a study is valid. The expectation that a judge will deliver a fair verdict. Trust presupposes that the expectation is realistic and based on facts. For example, if you book a holiday in Scotland, you cannot expect it to stay dry for two weeks.

In the Netherlands, trust is declining. Trust in politics, trust in science, trust in the judiciary. Conversely, trust within one’s own bubble is increasing. Even if a movement has shown itself to be unable to deliver, it retains a following. Here, trust clashes with hope. Trust, however, is one of the social constructs of a society, and is therefore of great importance.

Josse de Voogd is a researcher and writer working at the intersection of space, politics and society. He is known, amongst other things, for the ‘Atlas of Disengaged Netherlands’ and for his television programmes. He was also a member of the committee on Strengthening the Resilience of the Democratic Legal Order. As an electoral geographer, he examines differences within society, with a specific focus on social discontent. This concerns citizens who ‘disengage’ because they have lost confidence in (traditional) politics, the government and institutions, the direction in which society is heading, and sometimes in society itself.

In his lecture, Josse will explore the background to this discontent and lack of trust. What are the underlying causes? Which issues affect which people and groups, and in which areas? What do the developments outlined mean for politics and society? And what can we expect for the future?

Following the lecture, Josse will engage in a dialogue with the audience.