interesseprinsippet

Interesseprinsippet is a term found in Dutch discourse that denotes the principle of interests. It refers to a guiding norm in decision making whereby policies, rules, or actions should reflect the legitimate interests of those affected. The exact interpretation varies by field, but common usage treats it as a counterpart to more technocratic or single-metric approaches: rather than optimizing a single objective, decisions should balance competing interests such as economic, social, environmental, and legal considerations.

In practice, applying the interesseprinsippet involves identifying stakeholders, eliciting their interests, assessing the relevance and weight of each interest, and seeking arrangements that are fair and acceptable to the affected parties. It is often used in public administration, corporate governance, and mediation to justify compromises or stakeholder consultations. The principle aligns with broader ideas such as stakeholder theory, deliberative democracy, and the precautionary principle, while remaining distinct in its explicit framing around interests rather than rights or utilities alone.

Critics argue that the term can be vague and that balancing interests can be difficult or manipulated by powerful groups. Proponents counter that it promotes legitimacy, transparency, and social acceptability of decisions.

See also: stakeholder theory, governance, decision theory, negotiation, ethics.