Opposition parties from across the political spectrum were quick to criticise the new coalition’s plans for the next 3.5 years, following its formal presentation on Tuesday.

‘This cabinet is putting multinationals above people,’ said Labour leader Lodewijk Asscher, with reference to cuts in corporate taxes and the tax on dividends. ‘It is giving billion euro gifts to big companies, foreign investors and big assets, while making the grocery bill and healthcare more expensive.’

GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver, who pulled out of the first round of negotiations, said the cabinet is showing little ambition and is taking few concrete steps with regard to climate change. ‘This is a cabinet for big money, not for ordinary people,’ he said. ‘The richest 25% are going to benefit much more.’

SP leader Emile Roemer also highlighted the benefits to the corporate sector. ‘Rutte’s friends are doing well,’ he told reporters.

Interest groups and unions were also quick to respond. Student union LSVB slammed the failure of the four parties to bring back student grants, even though both the CDA and ChristenUnie had pledged to do so.

Transport group TLN said it wanted to meet the new cabinet as soon as possible to discuss the controversial plans to introduce some form of road pricing for the freight sector.

200 days

Pensioners lobby group ANBO said the plans are without bite. ‘We have waited for over 200 days for simple sums of adding and subtracting which will hit pensioners, people who have paid off their mortgages and people needing a lot of care the most.’

The FNV trade union pointed out that the decision to increase value added tax (btw) on food would make day to day living more expensive. ‘Corporate tax is going down but food, drink, water, books, art and going out to a cafe will be more expensive,’ the union stated.

Employers organisations, however, welcomed the new strategy, saying it laid a good basis for future developments. ‘The plans to improve the climate for entrepreneurship, the extra investments and the tax cuts will make our country stronger,’ the three main organistions said in a joint statement.

Refugees

Refugee lobby group Vluchtelingenwerk Nederland said the new coalition’s plans for migration and integration are extremely tough. ‘They smell of exclusion and refusal,’ the organisation said, while criticising the failure to reform the amnesty for child refugees.

‘The new cabinet has trust in the future but this government agreement does not give refugees any confidence in their future,’ the organisation said.

Compiled from nu.nl, NOS and press releases