You gain some funding, you lose some freedom: The ironies of flood protection in Limburg (The Netherlands)

► We apply an analytical framing of hegemony to flood management in The Netherlands. ► We show the crucial role of securitisation strategies in instigating hegemony. ► We point out historical contexts of hegemony in other policy domains. ► This analysis draws out strategic positioning obscured by a rationalistic analysis. ► The role of water expertise is highlighted as crucial for policy change.