Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten admitted on Thursday that his struggling three-party minority coalition needs a “serious fresh start.” This admission follows a deal to support a proposed tax plan for next year, which angered one coalition partner. Less than nine months into its four-year term, Jetten’s government is in crisis as it seeks support for a tax package essential to the 2027 budget.
Jetten’s D66 party and the centre-right Christian Democrats reached a deal with two centre-left opposition parties—PRO and Volt—to pass the tax package. However, the right-wing People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) condemned the agreement as harmful and a violation of its coalition agreement.
Skipping a European Union summit, Jetten participated in a parliamentary debate where he acknowledged the need for a fresh start. VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius criticised the coalition for feeling ambushed by the deal with opposition parties, labelling the proposal as poor and counterproductive. Ruben Brekelmans of the VVD emphasised the need for a fundamental discussion about the coalition’s direction.
A finance ministry review warned of a potential funding shortfall of more than €400 million due to the proposed amendment. Christian Democrat leader Henri Bontenbal expressed a desire for the coalition to survive its term. If these issues are not resolved, new elections could be on the horizon, marking the fifth general election in less than a decade for the divided Netherlands.
Jetten, who became the Netherlands’ youngest and first openly gay prime minister in February, aimed for a new era of consensus politics, but this has so far failed to materialise. The political crisis also resembles a similar situation in Belgium, where Prime Minister Bart De Wever recently tendered his resignation amid budget disputes.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
