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As of 1 September 2025 Annemarie Drahmann has been appointed full professor of Administrative Law at the Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance of Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��. "By working on fair administrative law, I try to contribute to restoring citizens' trust in the government."

With a caretaker government in the Netherlands and upcoming elections, heated debates about asylum and migration,and debates on the war in Israel and Palestine, on nitrogen emissions and agriculture, it’s an interesting time to be a professor of administrative law. The relationship between government and citizens is tense. Annemarie Drahmann adds another challenge. “There are staff shortages everywhere, the government is also operating with fewer manpower. At the same time, citizens want a responsive government that pays more attention to their legal position. Fortunately, this has received a lot of attention in recent years. On the other hand, there is also the fear that things will get bogged down if customized solutions are required for everyone. We have to balance these interests. And it is important to examine the underlying value of certain legal rules. I would like to contribute to this.”

An Honest Government

In recent years, Drahmann has conducted extensive research on a transparent and open government. The Dutch Open Government Act is an example of legislation that has so far led to disappointment for all involved (journalists, citizens, and civil servants who must implement the law). The government has not yet been able to deliver on the promises made in the law (active openness and rapid passive openness). An open government is essential for the democratic rule of law. It is therefore crucial that the implementation of the law be improved, for example, through further digitalization. At the same time, this digitalization also raises new questions.

An open government is important for the democratic rule of law

"I look forward to continuing my research, but also to deepening and broadening it. For me, a transparent government is inextricably linked to an honest government. This touches on the decline in citizens' trust in government and politics. By contributing to fair administrative law, I try to do my part to restore that trust. Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� is known for its multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, so I'm curious about new collaborations. Where can we create synergy?"

Teaching by active learning, the law in practice

I'm also looking forward to teaching active learning, just as I did in Leiden. With students who engage with the material themselves in lectures and don't just learn from books, but from a case study in society. Before I started working in academia, I was a lawyer for five years. This is still benefiting me in my work. The applicability and impact of laws in society is something I pay particular attention to, and I can share that with my students.

There are promising developments in my field. The Child Benefits Affair has awakened many administrative law practitioners. In recent years, I've seen a lot of hard work done to improve the legal position and legal protection of citizens. We're not there yet. There are many good ideas for improving legislation, such as the Dutch Algemene wet bestuursrecht.

“In recent years, I've seen a lot of hard work done to improve the legal position and legal protection of citizens, but we're not there yet.”

Democratic Rule of Law

On the other hand, I am concerned about our democratic rule of law. It requires sound legislation that solves the societal problems we face while simultaneously respecting the fundamental rights of all citizens. It is unacceptable for the government to disregard its own rules. And I find it a worrying development that it is sometimes argued that judges should not intervene if legislation conflicts with these fundamental rights, or that interest groups should not be allowed to stand up for the public interest, such as the protection of nature.

"It is unacceptable for the government to disregard its own rules."

Balance of Interests

Annemarie Drahmann's doctoral research focused on the distribution of scarce permits and subsidies. This issue has also caused considerable commotion in the municipality of Utrecht in recent years. Drahmann: "Governments are currently required to distribute these permits periodically through an open procedure, giving all entrepreneurs a chance to obtain them. I often read that the municipality did this 'because Europe required it,' while the underlying goals, such as preventing favouritism, promoting equality among entrepreneurs, and offering opportunities to new, young, innovative entrepreneurs, were not mentioned. Here, too, you see a tension between different values, because existing entrepreneurs understandably want to maintain their position, and constantly conducting new permit procedures is also a hassle. I then ask myself: how can we use law to find a balance between all these interests?"