At a time when everyone has less to spend, bankers too must moderate their bonuses, finance minister Jan Kees de Jager is quoted as saying in the Financieele Dagblad.

The minister made a ‘moral appeal’ to bankers during his weekly appearance on RTLZ television.
He was responding to statements made by leading bankers who appeared before a special parliamentary commission last week in which they said bonuses are necessary to drive forward business.
The minister also said he backed the introduction of a special European-wide bank tax.