From bureaucracy to freedom

In his December 2, 2025 speech in The Hague, Rob Roos launched the “Living Together in Freedom” foundation, presenting the case that the current political system has devolved into a “corporatocracy” controlled by unelected technocrats and requiring an urgent shift toward decentralization. Due to the ongoing expansion of EU bureaucracy and the increasing threat of digital control mechanisms like CBDCs, we are publishing the full text of his address.

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very warm welcome to all of you. It’s wonderful to see so many of you here today. On behalf of the board of the foundation Samen Leven in Vrijheid (Living Together in Freedom), thank you sincerely for your presence. Today promises to be a meaningful event, especially with our very special guest from Argentina—more on that shortly.

But first, allow me to introduce our new foundation: Living Together in Freedom. A name that’s deliberately non-political—because we are not, and will never become, a political party. Frankly, there are already more than enough political parties in this country.

So what are we?

We are a civic movement. A growing initiative aimed at mobilizing citizens, entrepreneurs, politicians and everyone who cherishes one of the most essential pillars of human dignity: freedom.

We defend freedom in all its forms:

• Freedom of thought, belief, and expression
• Freedom of assembly and political participation
• Bodily and personal autonomy
• Privacy and communication rights
• Legal and constitutional freedoms
• Economic and social liberties
• Educational, family and societal freedoms
• And yes—freedom in the digital age

If we’re serious about protecting freedom, we cannot ignore politics. Political conflict is often not about freedom versus oppression, but about which freedoms take priority, and whether the state protects or dictates.

Our foundation believes in minimal government.

Self-reliance and personal responsibility must return to the forefront of our society.

Our mission is clear: to connect freedom loving people, thinkers and doers in order to safeguard liberty, sovereignty and prosperity. We aim to influence public discourse and policy—not through slogans, but through reason, dialogue and solutions. We believe the debate must return to where it belongs: – with the people.

We envision a future in which the Netherlands is free, sovereign, and prosperous. Like we used to be for a long time. Freedom, democracy, and entrepreneurship are not just values—they are the very foundation of a functioning society. But they do not maintain themselves. They require care, protection, and courage—from all of us.

We stand firmly for:

• Freedom & Open Debate – to think, speak, and live without excessive government interference. Freedom also means responsibility—for oneself and for others.
• We stand for Democracy & Sovereignty – politics should serve citizens, not global technocracies. Our constitution, not foreign treaties, should form the bedrock of our democracy.
• We stand for Prosperity & Entrepreneurship – true wealth is the ability to build something meaningful. That requires low taxes, innovation, and a state that facilitates—not suffocates.

Three weeks ago, I traveled from Hanoi to Saigon in Vietnam—a one-party communist country. What struck me was remarkable: capitalism thrives on every street corner. People trade, sell, and build—despite the system.

Why? Because in 1986, the Vietnamese government allowed citizens to own small plots of land and trade surplus produce. Within two years, the country went from starvation to becoming a food exporter.

The lesson? Decentralization works. Give people ownership and responsibility, and they will build a better life. Centrally planned economies fail not because of bad intentions—but because no government can ever gather enough information to make the right decisions for millions of individuals. It leads to bureaucracy, stagnation, and despair.

You see the same in every failed system—North Korea vs South Korea, Cuba, Venezuela. Socialism has never brought wealth or freedom. Not once.

The only sustainable path forward is decentralization—of both economic and political power. And yet, Europe – with the European Union – is moving in the opposite direction. We have a government over our government. And with that I mean that the unelected European Commission rules over our elected parliament and our government. The European Commission becomes more powerful by the day. More money, more competences, and we already said ‘NO’ in 2005. We voted against the European Constitution. But it was adopted in the form of the Lisbon Treaty. So, voting for our national parliament is nowadays more for the show. The last two decades it has become clear that “We The People” are not able to change things via our democratic vote. So, besides politics we need a grass root movement.

We’ve developed ten core principles. I won’t cover them all today, but allow me to highlight number three:

3. Economy, Work and Entrepreneurship – We support lower taxes, less bureaucracy, and a strong focus on small businesses and innovation. Prosperity must be accessible to all citizens.

Ideological policies have created a flood of unnecessary rules, wasted public funds, and restricted our freedoms. Look at climate policy: it leads to higher taxes, more bureaucracy, and less freedom. And it is not helping our nature and environment either. Of course we have to take care of the planet. But not via this Ponzi scheme called Net Zero. This must stop—not slowly, not half-heartedly, but immediately.

We will not accept a digital prison. No digital ID. No CBDC. No ChatControl. No Media Freedom Act, no Digital Services Act. These are tools of Brussels bureaucracy, not of democracy. It’s not about “safe” speech—it’s about controlled speech. Not a free press, but state-approved journalism. Not free citizens, but monitored subjects. Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to say it but this is no democracy anymore. These same laws are used by tyrannic states.

Centralized power is the enemy of liberty. Ronald Reagan said it best and I quote: “Man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here – that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts”. End of quote.

Even the EU’s own treaties—Article 5—call for subsidiarity and proportionality. Yet power is hoarded in Brussels, when it should return to The Hague—and from The Hague to your local community.

Decentralization is not ideology—it’s necessity. Because the current system is not free capitalism—it’s a corpora-tó-cracy. Where elites, backed by mega-funds like BlackRock and Vanguard, dictate the rules in Davos. Where “public-private partnerships” mean backroom deals instead of democratic debate. This immense economic power leads to political power without any mandate. It circumvents our parliaments. It circumvents “We The People”.

We don’t need more multinational control—we need a thriving middle class and strong small businesses to carry the economy.

With this foundation, we hope to contribute to the future of our country. A beautiful country that is worth fighting for. Complaining won’t help. Running away, won’t solve it. Only action can turn the tide. And yes it will not be easy. But suffering pain is temporary – giving up is forever.

The political right is too divided—even when we agree on so much. Our goal is to unite people, build bridges, and create a real counterforce.

This is not about ego. We bear a duty—to preserve a free and prosperous Netherlands for the next generation, just as our ancestors did for us.

But we cannot do it alone. We need thinkers. We need doers. We need your support—moral, practical, and yes, also financial.

You are invited to respond to all three.

Thank you for your attention. I wish you an enjoyable lecture by Minister Sturzenegger. I look forward to building our future together.

Rob Roos is a distinguished fellow at the Gold Institute for International Strategy, a Washington, DC-based think-and-do tank.