Parliamentary inquiry into Dutch coronavirus policy

In a late-night debate, the lower house of Dutch parliament announced its intention to start preparing a parliamentary inquiry into the coronavirus policy in mid-2022. VVD parliamentarian Aukje de Vries submitted a motion, supported by D66, CDA, SP, GroenLinks, PvdA, and ChristenUnie. Together, these parties have a large majority in parliament.

The inquiry, one of the harshest resources available to parliament, will supplement the investigation by the Dutch Safety Board. "If new corona-related developments occur before that that demand all the attention of those involved," the starting moment can be reassessed, De Vries suggested. The investigation will focus on the role of the "Cabinet, parliament, and other involved bodies."

It was common knowledge that a parliamentary inquiry would be launched, but a motion had not yet been submitted. Parliamentary inquiries are also being prepared into gas extraction in Groningen and the government's fraud policy after the childcare allowance scandal.