Prime Minister of the Netherlands Rob Jetten will not attend the meetings of European leaders in Dublin after political disagreements over the 2027 tax plan necessitated an emergency parliamentary debate. Jetten will remain in the country for the sitting of the House of Representatives on 12 November.
A spokesperson for the prime minister said the decision was made “because of the current political situation”. A meeting of the European Political Community is scheduled to take place in Dublin on 12 November, followed by an informal meeting of European Union leaders on 13 November.
Rift over taxes
The reason for the tension is an agreement between the coalition parties D66 and CDA and the opposition parties PRO and Volt on part of the tax plan. The proposed change would provide a lower tax burden for working people and higher taxation for people with substantial assets.
The amendment, submitted by PRO and Volt, aims to secure around 1 billion euros in additional revenue from taxes on assets and savings. The third party in the minority government, VVD, is expected to vote against it. According to Dutch media, it is still unclear whether VVD will approve the amended budget or withdraw its support for the cabinet.
This is significant because Jetten's government has a minority in parliament and needs the support of opposition parties to pass the budget and tax changes. A withdrawal of support by VVD could lead to a political crisis and the collapse of the cabinet, but there is currently no confirmation that the party has made such a decision.
Vote postponed
The emergency debate on the tax plan will begin on the morning of 12 November. The vote on the plan and the submitted amendments has been postponed until after the discussions have concluded.
Jetten said earlier that the government was working to secure a majority in both chambers of parliament. According to him, support in the House of Representatives is close, but it is still insufficient in the Senate. “If the tax plan is rejected, the country will have 9 billion euros less in revenue over the coming years,” the prime minister said after a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Thus, the domestic political dispute in the Netherlands has overtaken the prime minister's international agenda. Instead of travelling to Dublin, Jetten will have to defend his government's tax policy before parliament.
Sources: nos.nl, dutchnews.nl