The impact of political apologies: ‘Broken promises are twice as painful’

The impact of political apologies: ‘Broken promises are twice as painful’

Countries are increasingly offering apologies for historical injustices, such as slavery and the Holocaust. According to PhD researcher Marieke Zoodsma, these expressions of regret ultimately lead to disappointment among victim groups: ‘For them, apologies are a stepping stone toward more practical reparations or the prosecution of perpetrators.’

Politieke excuses Mark Rutte. Beeld: Bas van der Schot.
‘We are living in the age of apologies,’ says Marieke Zoodsma. Illustration: Bas van der Schot

‘Excuses,’ ‘diskulpa,’ ‘pardon,’ and ‘apologies.’ With these words, former Prime Minister Mark Rutte formally apologized on behalf of the Netherlands in 2022 for the country’s role in slavery. Lately, political apologies for historical injustices seem to be occurring more frequently.

But is this assumption correct? And more importantly: are these apologies an effective tool for reconciliation? PhD researcher Marieke Zoodsma delved into the world of political apologies and analyzed their meaning and impact in her dissertation, ‘Make Every Word Count: The Expression and Reception of Political Apologies for Human Rights Violations Across the World.’

In your dissertation, you refer to an ‘age of apologies.’ What do you mean by that?

‘We increasingly hear about political apologies in the media and public debate. The academic literature also speaks of an ‘age of apology.’ At the same time, there is growing discussion about why these apologies are offered and whether they are appropriate. So for my dissertation, I first examined whether the assumption that political apologies are becoming more frequent – and that we are indeed living in an age of apologies – actually holds true.

‘To do this, I created a database that tracks the characteristics of political apologies: when they were made, by whom, and for what. Based on this data, I developed a timeline that shows a clear increase in the number of apologies issued by states for human rights violations since the 1990s.’

How do you explain this increase?

‘I believe it is largely due to the end of the Cold War. That conflict dominated global politics for a long time. When those tensions subsided, countries had the space to focus on the past and address the darker chapters of history.’

In your research, you show that the general public often has little interest in political apologies. Why are they made then?

‘Yes, that is quite interesting, isn’t it? In our research, we asked people in El Salvador, the United Kingdom, and South Korea what they thought about political apologies—particularly when their own country issued an apology for human rights violations on their behalf.

‘People who were not part of the victimized group often had no interest in apologies at all. Victim groups, on the other hand, placed great value on them. For them, recognition by a head of state is incredibly important.

‘The problem, however, is that victims usually see apologies as the beginning of a broader reconciliation process—one that includes reparations or the prosecution of perpetrators. In the long run, this often leads to disappointment, as the rest of society tends to view the apology as the end of the matter.

‘This discrepancy is very visible: victims see apologies as a starting point, while others see them as a conclusion. As a result, victims perceive political apologies as broken promises, which makes them even more painful.’

Are practical measures, such as reparations, more effective in the long run than symbolic apologies?

‘I believe that acknowledging the suffering and mistakes of the past is incredibly important on a symbolic level—it cannot simply be equated with financial compensation. Of course, an apology does not undo the harm, but it does offer recognition at both a national and international level.

‘Additionally, many victims want apologies first before discussing practical measures. But as we have seen, promises about those measures are often not fulfilled. This is an area where those offering apologies could invest more effort.’

Returning to the start of our conversation: you link the rise of political apologies to the end of the Cold War. Given today’s increasing geopolitical tensions, do you expect the number of political apologies to decline in the future?

‘I have also thought about the future of this ‘age of apologies.’ Will countries continue to issue apologies, or will we reach a turning point? It is also possible that, in the future, we will apologize for entirely different things—such as natural disasters or eating meat. But perhaps that’s still a bit too far off.

‘What does concern me, however, is the global rise of populist parties. They are generally opposed to offering apologies. For example, the PVV wants to retract the apology for the Netherlands’ role in slavery.

‘This is alarming—not just because I believe political apologies serve an important role, but especially because victim groups are deeply concerned about their position. They are uncertain whether the promises previously made will be upheld. This, of course, does not help the reconciliation process.’

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