Balkenende attacks former coalition partner on the economy

With just two days to go before voting begins, outgoing prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende has attacked his former coalition partner Labour for failing to be decisive on the economy.

In an interview with news website Nu.nl, Balkenende said it had been impossible to make an agreement on spending cuts with Labour. ‘It is not difficult for Labour to stimulate the economy. But when it comes to cleaning up the finances, that’s when things get tricky,’ he said.
And he said it would be difficult to form a new coalition involving the labour party because the party ‘always opts to maintain spending levels and for tax increases’.