VVD calls for cuts totalling €24bn to 'rebuild' the Netherlands
Friday 06 July 2012
The ruling right-wing Liberal party published its manifesto for the September general election on Friday and called for spending cuts of €24bn to restore order to government finances.
'We can only emerge from this crisis in a stronger position if we are prepared to take tough measures now,' prime minister and VVD campaign leader Mark Rutte said. 'We need to straighten out the government's finances, [in one four-year period] or we will end up like southern Europe.'
At the same time, the party is pledging to cut taxes by €5bn and spend an extra €3bn on education, public safety and infrastructure.
The savings will be made by chopping €9bn from the social security budget, €7bn from healthcare, €3bn on development aid and €5bn across other departments.
The plans involve dropping several measures agreed by five parties in the spring austerity agreement: commuters will not face a tax on their travel expenses and employers will not be made responsible for the first six months of unemployment benefit.
The main points:
Total cuts of €24bn
€3bn extra for education, public safety and infrastructure
€3bn to be cut from aid budget
The planned commuter tax will not be introduced
Unemployment benefit will be increased but for a shorter period. Employers will not pay the first six months
Shopkeepers to have free choice about opening on Sunday
State pension age to rise to 67 in 2018
Student grants and fines for slow students to be scrapped
Basic healthcare package to be reduced
Visits to family doctors to fall under own risk payment
€250m a year to be spent on new roads
Mortgage tax relief to be scrapped for all but repayment mortgages
Lower house of parliament to be reduced from 150 to 100 MPs, senate from 75 to 50 senators
Pay freeze for civil servants to 2014
Tougher immigration rules, possibly through EU opt-out
€2bn annual reduction in Dutch contribution to Brussels
Public television channels to be reduced from three to two
No tax on savings up to €35,000
Sources: VVD, Volkskrant, Nos
What do you think about the VVD's plans? Have your say using the comment box below.
Not long ago it was 18bn, now it's 24bn.
How can you trust a party that keeps changing it's manifesto?
By The visitor | 6 July 2012 1:31 PM
There are several areas that could be the target of austerity measures. One example - if scaled to a national level and involving streetlighting - is that the lamps in the hall of our flats have been burning for 39 1/2 years now.
They are used for perhaps 1-2% of the time, and were suitable measures put in place would save considerable amounts of money across the space of years.
The Netherlands have practically all their roads flood-lit. Is it not possible for motorists to take a little more responsibility for their movements after dark and beyond the city limits?
By Gemma | 6 July 2012 3:47 PM
I don't think anyone will object to more money for education, so long as it's not for some pen-pusher sitting in an office!
Basic healthcare package to be reduced. Do costs keep increasing or are they also to be reduced?
I can't see anyone crying over 50MPs & 25 senators losing their positions, especialy as they get a far more generous unemployment package than the rest of us!
Could someone correct me please,if I get this wrong? I think I read last year that it's 80% of their last wage, payable for 5 yrs, & can be topped up to that figure if they accept a position at lower pay.
By Donaugh | 6 July 2012 4:51 PM
Start with cutting the defence budget!
By Stevie Nutt | 6 July 2012 6:13 PM
This sounds like the perfect recipe for a continuing recession. Business as usual for the VVD, I guess. So, way to go guys?
By Stupid | 6 July 2012 7:43 PM
As an expat I don't get a chance to vote but I pay do tax and pay the compulsory health insurance fees. To eliminate visits to the doctors from the basic package and add it to own risk seems an attack on the basic health standards of people in the Netherlands. It is unfair particularly to the less well off for whom access to the doctor is an important aspect of health insurance. A retrograde proposal.
By John | 6 July 2012 8:54 PM
lol..only in the Netherlands can you hope to win elections with a promise to cut €24 billion spending yum yum looking forward to that.Now excuse me as I go whip myself to sleep.
By Roland | 6 July 2012 9:24 PM
Now for me, this wouldn't be too bad of a manifesto. Then, they went and said these stupid things:
**Student grants and fines for slow students to be scrapped
*Basic healthcare package to be reduced
*Visits to family doctors to fall under own risk payment
At some time in our life, we will ALL be sick. Stop punishing the sick who don't have the strength to dig themselves out of a hole in the same way a healthy person can!!!
By osita | 6 July 2012 9:48 PM
This is survival of the fittest in its modern shape: huge cutbacks paid by those who are most vulnerable in our society.
If you want a cold hearted society, vote VVD.
By Martin | 7 July 2012 2:38 AM
Considering the higher pay of civil servants in the Netherlands - 1 1/2 year pay freeze doesn't seem too bad. Obamacare ( Obama's socialist healthcare plan) in the US is a lot worse than any proposed healthcare reduction in VVD's plans. No tax on savings up to €35,000 - seems reasonable compared to other countries.
By Thomas | 7 July 2012 4:56 AM
Promises of Sunday shopping? - He/VVD must be pretty desperate for votes.
16bn reduction to hit people on lowest income & chipping away yet again at our health care? Tougher immigration rules, passport threats again?
A good way to discourage people with money from spending, any more bailouts on the horizon?? What's next, medical marijuana passes again? VVD...are you kidding?!!
By The visitor | 7 July 2012 5:09 AM
The VVD has already killed the Dutch economy. Who in their right mind would give them a chance to kill the country. Right wing governments have had 10 years and accomplished nothing. NOTHING!
By homer Jones | 7 July 2012 5:43 AM
@Gemma: got the same wasteful problem in my flat block here in Haarlem, gallery lighting stays on 24/7!! A light sensor for all the lights would be a great savings, but of course NO!. I might add also that cutting the long grass along the roads in NL also costs a few bob! Keep the grass long, hides all the discarded trash!)
Ah, NL politics..a good description would be: "Te land, ter zee en in de lucht. lol!!
Despite NL being a 1st world country, lol, when it comes down too brains..show me please!!
By The visitor | 7 July 2012 6:28 PM
@Thomas: wake up friend, it's a con! They will sell their soul to get your vote!!
@Martin: what else?
@homer Jones: you are wrong, they accomplished confusion & increase in poverty, that's not nothing!
@Roland: there is no lol in VVD/CDA, your comment yes!
Loving these comments from you guys, but hating the 'Sesame Street/Telly Tubby guv solutions: ah, democracy, but when??
What do you think Phil?
By The visitor | 7 July 2012 6:54 PM
Read all of the comments the problems in Holland are the same all over the world. Years of fictional money printed in cyber space just read how real your country is: Head line July 7 new TV "reality" show where foster kids get to pick their favorite parent, go figure that one out!
By toby | 8 July 2012 6:05 AM
How about the royal family? no cuts for them? why should population always bear it? Also no cuts with their salary/benefits?
By visitor | 9 July 2012 7:05 PM
@The visitor, I like the anti EU policies, the cutting aid, tougher immigration & more money for education. The rest is all bad news, besides these guys can't be trusted, they will suck straight back up to the EU as soon as the elections over
By Phil | 10 July 2012 7:41 AM
@ Gemma and the Visitor : I so agree with you guys.Internal saving is very critical and advantageous. But it looks like there are only pen-pushers and absolutely non-creative idiots sitting in the Gemeente. They ignore streets that are really hazardous to even park and end up digging and replacing streets that are good. To top it after replacing the streets, they go and dig up parts of it again for laying pipes, wires...etc. instead of integrating it with the initial rebuilding..... waste of time, money and labour. Street lights are blazing even in broad daylight. I am sure that if they really researched in these avenues they will save quiet a pot-full of revenue.
Once bitten, twice shy...
Not long ago it was 18bn, now it's 24bn.
By The visitor | 6 July 2012 1:31 PMHow can you trust a party that keeps changing it's manifesto?
There are several areas that could be the target of austerity measures. One example - if scaled to a national level and involving streetlighting - is that the lamps in the hall of our flats have been burning for 39 1/2 years now.
They are used for perhaps 1-2% of the time, and were suitable measures put in place would save considerable amounts of money across the space of years.
The Netherlands have practically all their roads flood-lit. Is it not possible for motorists to take a little more responsibility for their movements after dark and beyond the city limits?
By Gemma | 6 July 2012 3:47 PMI don't think anyone will object to more money for education, so long as it's not for some pen-pusher sitting in an office!
By Donaugh | 6 July 2012 4:51 PMBasic healthcare package to be reduced. Do costs keep increasing or are they also to be reduced?
I can't see anyone crying over 50MPs & 25 senators losing their positions, especialy as they get a far more generous unemployment package than the rest of us!
Could someone correct me please,if I get this wrong? I think I read last year that it's 80% of their last wage, payable for 5 yrs, & can be topped up to that figure if they accept a position at lower pay.
Start with cutting the defence budget!
By Stevie Nutt | 6 July 2012 6:13 PMThis sounds like the perfect recipe for a continuing recession. Business as usual for the VVD, I guess. So, way to go guys?
By Stupid | 6 July 2012 7:43 PMAs an expat I don't get a chance to vote but I pay do tax and pay the compulsory health insurance fees. To eliminate visits to the doctors from the basic package and add it to own risk seems an attack on the basic health standards of people in the Netherlands. It is unfair particularly to the less well off for whom access to the doctor is an important aspect of health insurance. A retrograde proposal.
By John | 6 July 2012 8:54 PMlol..only in the Netherlands can you hope to win elections with a promise to cut €24 billion spending yum yum looking forward to that.Now excuse me as I go whip myself to sleep.
By Roland | 6 July 2012 9:24 PMNow for me, this wouldn't be too bad of a manifesto. Then, they went and said these stupid things:
**Student grants and fines for slow students to be scrapped
*Basic healthcare package to be reduced
*Visits to family doctors to fall under own risk payment
At some time in our life, we will ALL be sick. Stop punishing the sick who don't have the strength to dig themselves out of a hole in the same way a healthy person can!!!
By osita | 6 July 2012 9:48 PMThis is survival of the fittest in its modern shape: huge cutbacks paid by those who are most vulnerable in our society.
If you want a cold hearted society, vote VVD.
By Martin | 7 July 2012 2:38 AMConsidering the higher pay of civil servants in the Netherlands - 1 1/2 year pay freeze doesn't seem too bad. Obamacare ( Obama's socialist healthcare plan) in the US is a lot worse than any proposed healthcare reduction in VVD's plans. No tax on savings up to €35,000 - seems reasonable compared to other countries.
By Thomas | 7 July 2012 4:56 AMPromises of Sunday shopping? - He/VVD must be pretty desperate for votes.
16bn reduction to hit people on lowest income & chipping away yet again at our health care? Tougher immigration rules, passport threats again?
A good way to discourage people with money from spending, any more bailouts on the horizon?? What's next, medical marijuana passes again? VVD...are you kidding?!!
By The visitor | 7 July 2012 5:09 AMThe VVD has already killed the Dutch economy. Who in their right mind would give them a chance to kill the country. Right wing governments have had 10 years and accomplished nothing. NOTHING!
By homer Jones | 7 July 2012 5:43 AM@Gemma: got the same wasteful problem in my flat block here in Haarlem, gallery lighting stays on 24/7!! A light sensor for all the lights would be a great savings, but of course NO!. I might add also that cutting the long grass along the roads in NL also costs a few bob! Keep the grass long, hides all the discarded trash!)
Ah, NL politics..a good description would be: "Te land, ter zee en in de lucht. lol!!
Despite NL being a 1st world country, lol, when it comes down too brains..show me please!!
By The visitor | 7 July 2012 6:28 PM@Thomas: wake up friend, it's a con! They will sell their soul to get your vote!!
@Martin: what else?
@homer Jones: you are wrong, they accomplished confusion & increase in poverty, that's not nothing!
@Roland: there is no lol in VVD/CDA, your comment yes!
Loving these comments from you guys, but hating the 'Sesame Street/Telly Tubby guv solutions: ah, democracy, but when??
What do you think Phil?
By The visitor | 7 July 2012 6:54 PMRead all of the comments the problems in Holland are the same all over the world. Years of fictional money printed in cyber space just read how real your country is: Head line July 7 new TV "reality" show where foster kids get to pick their favorite parent, go figure that one out!
By toby | 8 July 2012 6:05 AMHow about the royal family? no cuts for them? why should population always bear it? Also no cuts with their salary/benefits?
By visitor | 9 July 2012 7:05 PM@The visitor, I like the anti EU policies, the cutting aid, tougher immigration & more money for education. The rest is all bad news, besides these guys can't be trusted, they will suck straight back up to the EU as soon as the elections over
By Phil | 10 July 2012 7:41 AM@ Gemma and the Visitor : I so agree with you guys.Internal saving is very critical and advantageous. But it looks like there are only pen-pushers and absolutely non-creative idiots sitting in the Gemeente. They ignore streets that are really hazardous to even park and end up digging and replacing streets that are good. To top it after replacing the streets, they go and dig up parts of it again for laying pipes, wires...etc. instead of integrating it with the initial rebuilding..... waste of time, money and labour. Street lights are blazing even in broad daylight. I am sure that if they really researched in these avenues they will save quiet a pot-full of revenue.
By W D'Sa | 10 July 2012 9:25 AM