Support for development aid and nuclear power continues to shrink

Only 22% of the population thinks more money should be spent on development aid, compared with 50% in 2006, the national statistics office CBS said on Friday.

The contrast is clearest within the two coalition parties. Just 7% of the right-wing VVD say more money should go to aid projects, compared with over 30% of Labour voters.

The new coalition agreed to slash the aid budget by €1bn from next year, taking the Netherlands below the UN target of 0.7% of GDP.

The new CBS survey also shows just 20% of voters favour building more nuclear power stations. In 2010, one third of the population backed an expansion of nuclear power.

The figures are contained in the latest CBS voter survey, which canvassed public opinion on the big issues shortly after the general election.

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