Government party D66 supports the demand of opposition parties to reduce poverty. But where PvdA and GroenLinks are still demanding action today, Minister Sigrid Kaag’s party wants to wait until Prinsjesdag. And that attitude causes irritation.
A large part of the House of Representatives is demanding action from the cabinet now that the Central Planning Bureau has predicted that 1 million people will live in poverty next year. That is 200,000 more than now and is at odds with the government’s goal of halving poverty. “Hundreds of thousands of people in the Netherlands live in poverty, the queues at the food bank are increasing. Then you fail as a cabinet,” said SP leader Lilian Marijnissen.
In its annual spring memorandum, the cabinet has announced that it wants to reduce costs and that it also wants to cut costs at a minimum level. The PvdA and GroenLinks believe that the cabinet is cutting back on ‘people’s social security’. They want the cabinet to come up with ‘a solid social package’ against poverty before the summer. Otherwise they will not support the Spring Memorandum, they threaten.
The parties use their position in the Senate for this: without the support of PvdA and GroenLinks, the cabinet can actually only get a majority with the support of the BoerBurgerBeweging. But even there the cabinet will not be able to find a refuge. “I do agree with the plans of the PvdA and GroenLinks,” BBB leader Caroline van der Plas responded when asked during the debate.
Grab inflation
GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver and his PvdA colleague Attje Kuiken want the cabinet to demand more tax from profitable companies and people with large assets. According to them, these companies are engaged in ‘grab inflation’: raising prices more than necessary due to rising costs, causing profits to skyrocket. “Grab inflation really needs to be tackled now,” says Kuiken. Marijnissen agrees: “How dare the Minister of Finance announce cutbacks at a time of exorbitant profits?”
D66 Member of Parliament Steven van Weyenberg also believes that too many cutbacks should not be made. “It is good that the cabinet is sailing close to the wind,” said Van Weyenberg. He supports the idea that the cabinet should come up with more structural plans to combat poverty, but disagrees with the timing. According to D66, this should not be discussed until August, when new figures on Dutch purchasing power are published. Then it would be presented on Prince’s Day. “That’s how we’ve always done it,” says the D66 member.
Van Wyenberg believes that young families who will be the victims of the postponement of a new childcare system should also be looked at. While the ‘almost free childcare’ will only be introduced in 2027, an important tax credit for young parents will already disappear in 2025. “It cannot be the case that we keep up with the current timeline,” said Van Weyenberg. The PvdA and GroenLinks are also calling for this.
The VVD wants to make more cutbacks. “The button is turned,” VVD MP Eelco Heinen begins his speech. “The time when money seemed free seems to be over now.” According to the VVD member, ‘if we are honest’ 10 to 20 billion less should be spent in the future.
How is it possible that so many people in a country like the Netherlands still live in poverty? (video):
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