Easy agreement on €16 bn savings

The Christian Democrat and Liberal VVD parties currently negotiating a minority coalition government will easily agree savings of €16 bn, according to the finance ministry and widely reported in Wednesday’s press.

The ministry compared the financial plans of five political parties to assist coalition negotiations. It discovered that the two parties want to make savings in the same areas.
In the welfare state, both want a shorter period for unemployment benefit, a rise in the pension age and a cut in subsidies for child care.
There are more differences between the parties in the care sector but both parties want to make swingeing cuts. The Liberals want to double the own-risk on health insurance policies and bring general practitioners under own-risk, while the Christian Democrats want to raise the own-risk premium by €20.
Both parties see savings in more private financing in health care, general practitioner care and cheaper, generic medicines.