Measures aimed at preventing a fresh economic crisis are taking too long, former Finance Minister Wouter Bos says.

In an interview with newspaper De Volkskrant, the former Labour leader warns that the "sense of urgency" is fading amid the first signs of a timid recovery. He also warns of the financial sector's growing resistance to government efforts to introduce legislation aimed at preventing a new melt-down.

Business as usual
"Everywhere in the financial sector one sees tendencies which remind one of the past. In the United States and Britain bonuses are back. So it's business as usual. Risky products are also back: derivatives and structured loans. They may be better embedded in reports and transparency statements--but the risks remain."

"Old arguments are back, too. For example: new regulations are bad and should be blocked because they hamper the financial sector's innovative energies. That has been the argument to condone a lot of suspicious stuff."

The Dutch parliamentary press chose Mr Bos as politician of the year 2008, largely due to his crisis management of the global financial crisis that included the nationalisation of the Fortis bank.

Citizens into consumers
Mr Bos also warns that, increasingly, people see themselves not as workers and citizens but as consumers and investors--consumers who want everything cheaper and investors who want ever higher returns. In the long term, he allows, education, at home and at school, can correct such inclinations. "But can we wait for 30 years? Captains of industry should lead by example--me too."

The former finance minister currently works for accounting firm KPMG, where his salary exceeds the so-called Balkenende norm. Under the standard, named after former PM Jan Peter Balkenende, no civil servant is allowed to earn more than the prime minister. Currently, the limit is set at around 180,000 euros.

Higher taxes
Confronted with the discrepancy, Mr Bos defends himself by saying he now works in the private sector and "is happy to pay higher taxes--a solid Labour tenet."