The Dutch government remains in power, but the coalition crisis is not over. The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) will maintain its participation in the governing minority for the time being, after Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Deputy Prime Ministers Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius and Bart van den Brink held talks for around seven hours in an effort to prevent the cabinet from collapsing.
According to NOS, the three parties have not reached a final agreement on the format of future governance or on whether enough trust remains between them. New talks are planned for the weekend. Thus, the VVD is not leaving the coalition for now, but its position remains conditional. The party is calling for changes to the government's policies and political balance.
The Dispute Erupted over the Tax Plan
The conflict began after the tax plan for 2027 was passed in the House of Representatives by a narrow majority of 76 votes to 74. The VVD voted against it after its coalition partners D66 and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) backed amendments agreed with opposition parties PRO and Volt. They provide for people with substantial assets to pay more tax, while working people would receive some reduction in their tax burden.
VVD parliamentary group leader Ruben Brekelmans described the way D66 and the CDA had acted as “shocking”. He said he had not expected the coalition partners to make such a sharp turn to the left and warned that this was bad for the economy and businesses in the Netherlands.
Jetten insists that the coalition should continue working together. “No one is waiting for endless political disputes in The Hague or new elections, and we must do everything in our power to find a common way forward,” the prime minister said. He is expected to present the results of the talks after the Council of Ministers meeting, but as of now no final compromise has been announced.
Sources: nos.nl, apnews.com