MP's mainly critical of healthcare cuts ahead of coalition agreement debate

On Thursday, the Tweede Kamer will debate the coalition agreement presented by the VVD, D66, CDA, and ChristenUnie on Wednesday. They'll discuss the content of the agreement, as well as the final report of informateurs Johan Remkes and Wouter Koolmees. A large part of the opposition is critical of the new government's plan to reduce healthcare costs, NOS reports.

The government plans to cut spending on healthcare by 4.5 billion euros. SP leader Lilian Marijnissen called that a knife in the back of healthcare workers. GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver said it was a "big mistake" that needs correcting. PvdA leader Lilianne Ploumen called the healthcare budget cut "completely incomprehensible." PVV leader Geert Wilders thinks the Cabinet should rather cut on investments to save the climate.

On Wednesday, informateur Remkes said that the Cabinet formation process tested the patience of many and that politicians must evaluate why this formation and the previous one took so long. Such an evaluation will likely be launched by the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, today.

In the debate, VVD leader Mark Rutte will also be appointed as informateur. In the coming weeks, he'll put together the members of his new Cabinet. The expectation is that the Rutte IV Cabinet will be sworn in next month.