Breakdown of Ongeacht de consequenties handhaven wij dit beleid strikt.
wij
we
dit
this (neuter)
strikt
strict / strictly (rigid, absolute)
het beleid
the policy (strategy, government, business)
Questions & Answers about Ongeacht de consequenties handhaven wij dit beleid strikt.
Does ongeacht need an extra preposition to mean "regardless of"?
No. While English requires the extra word "of" (regardless of), the Dutch preposition ongeacht connects directly to the noun phrase that follows it (de consequenties). Adding a word like van after it would be incorrect.
Why is the word order handhaven wij instead of wij handhaven?
Because the sentence starts with the phrase Ongeacht de consequenties. In a Dutch main clause, if you put anything other than the subject in the first position, the subject and verb swap places (inversion). The verb handhaven stays in the second logical position, so the subject wij must follow it.
What is the exact nuance of the verb handhaven here?
Handhaven generally means "to maintain" or "to uphold". In a formal context involving a beleid (policy), a rule, or a law, it specifically means "to enforce"—making sure that the rules are actually being followed.
Why is it dit beleid and not deze beleid?
The Dutch word for "policy" is a neuter noun: het beleid. Because it is a het-word, the singular word for "this" must be dit. You only use deze for de-words and for plurals.