The Netherlands now has a new government and prime minister, as Rob Jetten officially became the country’s youngest and first openly gay leader on February 23.
The 38-year-old centrist from the pro-European Union D66 party achieved a shock but narrow win in October against Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV).
Jetten and his cabinet were formally sworn in by King Willem-Alexander at the Palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague.
In a post on X, Jetten wrote: “Sworn in. We’re going to get started. Let’s get to work.”
Center-right coalition
Following their win, D66 decided to form a coalition with the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
Described by many as an optimist, Jetten initially wanted to include left-leaning alliance GreenLeft-Labor (GL-PvDA) for a broader coalition, but the VVD firmly opposed the idea.
The negotiations took 117 days, significantly less than the 223 days it took to establish the previous government.
Opposition parties vow to challenge minority government
However, the coalition failed to form a parliamentary majority with only 66 out of 150 seats in the lower house, and 22 out of 75 in the upper house.
This means that it would need support from the opposition for all of its proposals, something that analysts have identified as one of Jetten’s many early challenges in leading the euro zone’s fifth-largest economy.
This was already evident in opposition parties’ response over the coalition’s plan to further boost defense spending by EUR19 billion (US$22 billion), which would lead to welfare and healthcare budget cuts.
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The coalition aims to hit the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s new defense spending target of 3.5% of the gross domestic product by 2035. Towards this, the new government is planning to impose a “freedom tax” through a surcharge on income taxes.
There are also plans to lessen unemployment benefits, raise healthcare contributions, advance the increase in retirement age, and implement stricter asylum migration policies.
Wilders, whose PVV party came second in the October snap election, vowed to oppose any reforms by the new government.
GL-PvDA leader Jesse Klaver also voiced disdain about the plans, calling it “unfair”.
“Ordinary people will pay hundreds of euros more, while nothing extra is asked of the richest. This has to change,” Klaver wrote in a post on X, as quoted by Reuters.
Socialist Party chief Jimmy Dijk, meanwhile, labelled it “a frontal attack on our civilization.”
Who are the key names in the new cabinet?
Facing the uphill battle with Jetten are Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, Defence Minister Dilan Yesilgoz, Justice Minister David van Weel, Finance Minister Eelco Heinen, Interior Minister Pieter Heerma, and Agriculture Minister Jaimi van Essen.
Van Essen is part of Jetten’s D66, while Yesilgoz, van Weel and Heinen are from VVD. Berendsen and Heerma represent CDA.
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