Toespraak van minister Ploumen bij de openingsreceptie van de IMF/WB constituency meeting

Toespraak | 30-05-2014

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Minister Dijsselbloem and President Knot of the Dutch central bank join me in welcoming you all to this annual constituency meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

It is a good tradition to hold the meeting in a different place each year. This year, you should have been meeting in Ukraine instead of here. But recent events have made that impossible.

And that’s why the Netherlands is hosting the constituency meeting. I hope it won’t be too long before we can meet again in Ukraine.

But for now, we are here in what I think is a very special building. The work of Maurits Cornelis Escher has intrigued people for generations. Its appeal is as strong today as it ever was. In fact you could say his work is very topical.

Let me explain.

Take the work Ascending and Descending. Two lines of people are walking up and down a never-ending staircase. Down is up and up is down, for ever and ever. It all looks so realistic.

But common sense tells you that what you see is not possible. The fantasy world Escher created is an optical illusion based on complicated mathematical tricks that ordinary folk can’t follow.

Now, what does that remind you of? Exactly! Those complex financial instruments that the failed rocket scientists created for the banks so that everyone could get richer without having to do anything or pay the price.

In Escher’s visual language, down is up and up is down, for ever and ever. But we know that’s not the case! Escher tricks us into thinking we can keep going up for ever, without ever having to come down. In reality, many people fell to earth with a very hard bump when the world was turned upside down in 2008. They lost their homes, their jobs and all their certainties.

Escher was a fantastic mathematician, but I’m glad he opted for a career in art rather than banking. That’s just one of the thoughts that came to me when walking round this wonderful museum. Perhaps it’s because I’m a social democrat. I wonder what you think. I hope you enjoy the art on display as much as I do.

Let’s now turn our gaze away from Escher and focus briefly on the meeting. All the constituency countries are represented here today, with most of the delegations being led by a minister and central bank president. That underlines the importance you attach to this annual meeting.

I’m particularly pleased that Bosnia is represented. Only last week, your country was hit by devastating floods. Our thoughts go out to you. As you will be aware, the Netherlands has a long history of fighting floods. So we are more than willing to share our know-how and experience with you. Two Dutch experts are already hard at work in Bosnia.

Like you, the Netherlands greatly values the close ties that exist between the countries of the constituency. As you may know, I am also the co-chair of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation. In that capacity I am pushing for more investments in inclusive sustainable growth projects. On these and other subjects I will be seeking close cooperation with you all in the near future.

The importance the Netherlands attaches to this meeting will be evident from the programme for the next few days. As you will have heard, the Queen will give an opening speech tomorrow. And the Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, will bring the day to a close at dinner.

We will talk more about the weighty issues tomorrow. This evening is more informal – it’s about making and renewing acquaintances. And, of course, having a good look round this palace. It was built in 1764 and came into the royal family’s possession 80 years later. It served for many years as a royal palace. Since 2002 it has been home to Escher’s work.

After the buffet dinner, from quarter to nine until half past nine, you can form your own opinion about Escher’s art. A guide will be present on every floor if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy the evening.

Thank you.