Student grants scrapped: No more investment in the future.

Mortgage tax: at least it's phased in over a long time. Gives time to sell up.

Health insurance: As it's now income based, why bother with insurance companies and their profit margins, just return to an NHS system.

Insurance Tax: well, does this include health insurance?

Tax band changes: just a rejiggling of the tax burden. we'll all end up paying more in the end.

They plan to scrap the zorgtoeslag? That's me (and many others) who will be unable to pay health insurance, then.

On another note entirely, where has the 'comments' box gone on the right hand side of the page?

Hi,
Democracy is at the moment the best alternative to communism. People vote at an election and that’s it. Problems often come with the results and such things as coalitions have to be made. In such negotiation you have a strong partner and a weak partner but critical for a deal. When the stronger partner negotiates for governess and the weak partner for such things as the need of the lower part of the body things get complicated. The needs of the body is not politics and a matter for legislation not a coalition deal and indicative of a party not competent to govern as their brain is in the lower part of their body.

The devil is in the details. As usual we'll just have to wait until these new measures have been implemented before we see what works, what doesn't. The nice things is that my income tax rate will drop. The bad is that my mortgage will cost me more, and, considering that my house is now worth less than what I paid for it, it hardly makes sense to keep it.

Have the NL government learnt nothing from other coutries where this sort of tax regime does not work?
It only leads to widening the gap between rich and poor .. which leads to increased crime.

I feel, while presenting the Coalition Agreement to the new Cabinet scheduled for Novr 6th,
a proposal to offer a subsidized Medical Insurance premium to those who are above 75 years of age should be considered and adopted jointly by all Parties concerned.

My suggestion would be, for such citizens, and particularly for those who need continuous life-saving medicines for Diabetics, Blood Pressure, Cholesterols, Cancer, etc. the “own risk” (Vrijwilling Eigen Risico) should be waived totally and even for calculating the annual premium either a discount of 25% on the basic premium or should calculate only for the actual yearly income and not on his/her holdings (Gemiddelde waarde bezittingen).

you can see why the housing market is so over inflated in the netherlands. Subsidy for builder, subsidy for buyers, tax break for buyers. banks giving 110 % mortgages !!Is there a real world out there like living within your means.

To Terence Hale: ...and communism/socialism is best antidote to fascism/nazism which is the worst enemy of democracy.

this looks like a pretty well balanced plan considering the circumstances. I'm so glad to see a coalition coming that can make compromises and hopefully lead NL down a socially balanced path for the coming 4 years.

@woods, you'll lose zorgtoeslag, but instead your health insurance premium will be increased or lowered in accordance with how much you earn. If you are on a low income, you'll pay less for health insurance

'So glad now that I have no mortgage, no little kids depending on me, no car, no bank loan to pay off, no cellphone or I-pad, no more material longings..

'Feel sorry for the rest on low incomes that thought they had a rosy future.

It's quite worrying knowing that a mere handful are in charge, and playing God with our lives, and mainly for their own personal achievement. (EU - EUgenics?)

To have a vote once in the 4 years is not democracy.

@visitor

The new 'austerity measures', will teach people to avoid debt, not to trust banks or other financial institutions, or pension funds for example, and live within their means. I was one of the fortunate few who, 4yrs ago saw coming housing crash and the bailouts, I sold up, and today have no debt and live comfortably within my means. The sooner we end this EU farce the better, these people are unelected buffoons, only greedy for power and furthering their own ambitions. As the debt rises 2013 will be an interesting year to say the least.

So still no information on whether the wietpas will be introduced on the 1st January 2013. Lets hope the new coalition make the right decision and do away with it.

@The visitor: "To have a vote once in the 4 years is not democracy".. could you please suggest a concrete and feasible alterantive for a perfect democracy?

@highlander - good for you. I too saw this coming a long time ago, 2007 in fact and sold an overpriced house. But I still have debt, I don't have anything left to sell so I guess I'll be one of those hung out to dry.

those who truly cannot afford to pay health insurance will go in arrears maeing anyone of them who have aanvullende insurances (dental, etc) will lose it, making the health care costs for everyone more IF they actually then get sick. A septic tooth can result in a hospital visit. Who will pay that if this person cannot pay the eigen risico which is also going up next year?

The devil is always in the details. If health insurance is income dependence, I am afraid eventually it is a plan in favor of the insurance companies.

@Highlander: do you honestly think an Europe where you have border controls with Belgium and Germany and not an unified VAT area etc. is better than the current arrangements that are not perfect?

@Highlander: Yup, but I don't think people in general will learn from their mistakes: history repeating itself over & over again. Good news for us though :)(Lol, whole apartment running of LED lights now, less than 15watts.)

So far the EU has proven a good way to end democracy & increase the burden of debt, bravo!

@the_expat: Democracy started in ancient Greece, back in those days it was so different and less complicated than today. We have a very small % of democracy, totally is just not possible, far too dangerous. Cooperation, referendums on big issues, understandings & no more secret meetings would be a good start. (Or let's just milk the less fortunate again?)