Opposition party ChristenUnie has backed plans to fine slow students following a number of concessions from the government, news agency ANP reports.

The government wants to charge students who take more than a year too long to finish their degrees an extra €3,000 – a move which has led to widespread student protests.
Now the government has agreed students who are ill, have serious family problems or become pregnant will be exempt from the extra fee. It had already decided that students who take a year out to run a student organisation would not have to pay.
This is enough to persuade the orthodox Christian party to vote for the measure, party leader André Rouvoet said.
The change of heart means there is now likely to be majority support for the measure in the senate.