Rediscovering Emotions
July 18, 2024
It was around 2005 when one of my mentors, Prof. Roel in ’t Veld, introduced me to the significance of emotion in understanding governance phenomena. He pointed out how emotions played a crucial role in the events following the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The outpouring of grief and solidarity in the UK and worldwide was unprecedented. This conversation got me thinking, and I recalled the events after the Netherlands' victory in the Euro Cup in 1988. The exuberant display of emotions by the typically reserved Dutch was surprising and confusing at the time.
The definitive consolidation of the importance of emotions came with BREXIT. The 2016 British vote to leave the European Union could only be fully understood by considering the emotional undercurrents driving the decision.
2016 was also the year that Donald Trump was elected president after two terms of the first Afro-American president, Barack Obama. Trump’s political style was characterized more by emotional appeals than by rational discourse. He introduced the concept of "alternative facts," denied climate change, and struggled to follow scientific guidelines when the pandemic escalated in 2020. The COVID pandemic induced a mental health pandemic, increasing the emotional factor. People's behavior became less predictable.
Emotion reached a whole new level when Trump survived an attempt on his life on July 13, 2024—a crime likely induced by the hate he promotes.
Populists were among the first to recognize the power of playing with emotions. In our region, the most notorious populist was President Hugo Chavez, who was first elected president in 1998. He served as a model for populists in Curaçao, an island where emotions run high. While I will not attempt to explain why this is the case, it is clear that the pain from the era of slavery plays a significant role and is often exploited by populists. Another factor is the close-knit nature of society in Curaçao. Interactions here are not strictly business but are deeply personal, involving emotions at every level.
Therefore, one needs to be emotionally intelligent when involved in governance. Recognizing and addressing the emotional aspects of decisions and events is crucial for effective leadership and governance.
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Miguel Goede
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