Labour will no longer prop up minority cabinet, says Job Cohen

Saturday 21 January 2012

The Labour party (PvdA) will no longer vote in line with the minority cabinet if its official alliance partner - the anti-Islam PVV - opposes government policy, party leader Job Cohen told the Volkskrant on Saturday.

Labour voted in favour of pension reform and the government's strategy to solve the euro crisis after Geert Wilders' PVV refused to support the cabinet line.

However, Cohen said in the interview he did not plan to help the cabinet 'make more cuts'.

Opposite

If the prime minister asks for help again Cohen said: 'He can always come round but I don't see that happening. What he wants is the complete opposite to what we want.'

'I don't like the idea of helping the government to make more cuts,' Cohen continued. 'Different things need to be done, on the housing market, the jobs market, on climate and energy. This is where important steps need to be taken.'

Liberal democrat (D66) leader Alexander Pechtold said last year his party would no longer help the government to a majority.

The Socialists, currently riding high in the polls, have never supported the cabinet and have been rewarded in the polls, the paper points out.

Control

The Liberals and Christian Democrats control 52 of the 150 seats in the lower house of parliament, but have been able to pass legislation with the help of the PVV, which has 24 seats.

Labour has 30 seats, but is currently struggling in the opinion polls, and its support for the cabinet is seen as one reason for the party's declining popularity.

Cohen's decision ups the pressure on the three parties in a new round of talks on spending cuts which will take place in the early spring. Wilders has already said he wants the cabinet to slash spending on development aid in return for his support for housing market reform.

On Friday, the CDA published a new policy strategy document calling on the party to adopt the 'radical middle ground', which will also increase tensions within the coalition, commentators said.

© DutchNews.nl

Readers' comments

Comments have been closed for this article.