New Dutch government's plans for the coming years
After 209 days of formation talks, the new Dutch government presented its plans for the coming years on Tuesday. Here follows some details from the agreement that were not leaked to the press before the official release.
Security and Justice
The government is investing 267 million euros extra into community police officers and detectives and 95 million euros into fighting cyber crime. The amounts leaked to the press before the official release, were somewhat off at 270 million and 60 million euros respectively.
Additional safeguards will be implemented on the new Law for the intelligence and security services, which gives the AIVD and MIVD the capability to collect, store and analyze large amounts of internet data.
The cabinet is banning criminal motorcycle gangs.
In future providers of online gambling must be located in the Netherlands
The Security and Justice budget will no longer be tied to income from fines.
The punishment for hate speech will be increased from one to two years
Revenge porn will become punishable
Education
The government wants to make the process of opening a school easier
Tuition fees for higher education will be halved for first year students. Students studying to become teachers, will pay halved tuition fees for the first two years of study. This measure will be implemented in the 2018/2019 school year.
Five million euros will be invested into tackling low literacy.
And 100 million euros was set aside to encourage social volunteering
Labor Market and Social Security
The new government wants to make fixed work less fixed, and flexible work less flexible. The coalition is decreasing labor taxes, and making room for wage increases.
In future it will be easier for employers to dismiss employees, but severance pay is increasing. Employees will be entitled to severance pay from their first working day.
An employee may work on temporary contracts for three years, instead of the current two years.
Measures will be taken to make working with occupational disability more attractive
The model contracts in the freelancers law will be updated
If a freelancer earns less than 125 percent of the legal minimum wage and worked for a client for more than three months, he or she is entitled to a fixed contract
The labor law will be adjusted so that the 'authority relationship' is explained more clearly
Freelancers and self-employed will not be obliged to take out occupational disability insurance, but getting insurance will be made easier
The government is putting 250 million euros extra per year into the childcare allowance. Child benefit wil be increased to 250 million euros and the child realated budget will be increased to 500 million euros.
Income disparities between rich and poor will decrease slightly under the Rutte III government, according to calculations by central planning office CPB. Income disparities will decrease gradually by 0.1 percent, mainly thanks to tax cuts for the middle class income group. Without the measures in the Rutte III government agreement, income disparities would increase by 2.7 percent, according to the CPB.
Sustainability
The government wants to make an agreement with Europe for a 55 percent emission reduction by 2030
A national climate agreement will ensure that in the Netherlands emissions will be reduced by 49 percent by 2030
The government is making around 4 billion euros available for the transition to cleaner energy
Taxes on energey will become greener
The government will close at least one coal plant in its term, and the rest will close by 2030
More plots will be established for offshore wind farms
New homes will no longer be connected to the gas line.
Mobility and passenger transport
By 2030 all cars in the Netherlands must be emission free
A once off amount of 100 million euros will be invested into bicycle infrastructure.
Sport
More money will be available for top Dutch athletes. In order to offer more opportunities for the Olympic and Paralympic teams, the new government doubled their contribution from 10 million to 20 million euros per year.
The government is also making more room for top sports talents to combine education and sport.
The government is putting an extra 5 million euros aside to support the organization of sport events in the Netherlands.
Extra attention will be paid to tackling doping, match fixing, corruption and abuse in sport.
The cabinet wants a 'sports agreement' to make sure the financing and organization of sport is 'future-proof'.
10 million euros was set aside for sport unions.
Healthcare
The government is investing 180 million euros into family care - family members or friends caring for chronically ill or disabled persons - during this cabinet period
2.1 billion euros will be invested into nursing home care
Excise duties on tabacco will increase
The Non-Insvase Prenatal Test - a blood test that tests for serious disorders like Down's Syndrome - will remain available in the Nethelrands, but willl not form part of the basic health insurance package
Transparency in healthcare prices will be increased.
Management and Kingdom Relations
The cabinet is putting 900 million euros aside for dealing with "regional bottlenecks"
Public information will be spread through open data as much as possible
The advisory referendum is being scrapped.
Culture
325 million euros is set aside for monument maintenance
Young people in the Netherlands will receive a booklet about the country's history on their 18th birthday
Other
The Netherlands will undertake "diplomatic action" against countries that "do not fully cooperate" in the investigation into the MH17 disaster.
The new government is further reducing gas extraction in Groningen. The gas extraction in the province will be reduced by 1.5 million cubic meters over the next four years. Gas extraction will also happen more evenly. This will help reduce the chance of fracking earthquakes.
The four parties left each other free to vote as they will on issues of life and death, provided that the issue was carefully discussed and assessed. According to NU.nl, this agreement was necessary to prevent the new government being overthrown by a new controversy that was not included in the government agreement.
More money will be invested into improving research journalism, though the exact amount is not known.