Senate puts controversial laws on ice

Six new legislative bills were declared ‘controversial’ by the upper house of parliament (Senate) yesterday. This means they will not become law until a new cabinet is agreed, something which could still take weeks if not months.


The most important legislation now on hold is the liberalisation of the home rental market which is currently strictly controlled. The new law, due to be implemented on January 1, would have opened up the sector.
Other legislation that has been frozen includes a plan to allow social benefit claimants to take on work experience jobs. Both of these laws were the initiative of the Liberal (VVD) party which lost around a quarter of its seats in last month’s general election.
Uri Rosenthal, leader of the VVD in the Senate, said in today’s Financieele Dagblad that the Senate’s decision to make its own role in the legislative process dependent on the election (the Senate is not elected) was ‘dubious’.

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