The socialist party SP wants parliament to return early from its summer recess in order to question social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner about his announcement on Tuesday of pension cuts.

Donner said he was terminating an exemption measure for weak pension funds and that 14 of them will consequently have to cut their pay-outs to pensioners within months. A duty of confidentiality means he cannot name the funds concerned.
Around 700,000 people will be affected, with 150,000 of them feeling the direct effect because they have already retired.
SP MP Paul Ulenbelt says his party wants an urgent debate on the matter, reports Parool. ‘Not saying which funds are involved is sowing panic without offering a decent solution,’ he told the paper. He added that it was irresponsible behaviour.