Republicans to demand reduced salary and benefits for the king during protest

The anti-monarchist movement, Republiek, organized a demonstration in Emmen on King's Day calling for the Dutch king's earnings to be slashed, and saying that he should be subject to income tax, inheritance tax, and gift tax like everyone else. They think King Willem-Alexander should only be allowed to earn the maximum amount that may be paid to public servants in the Netherlands, a standard named for former Prime Minister Jan Peter Balenende.

Instead of the 1.1 million euros paid annually to Willem-Alexander, he should earn no more than roughly 233,000 euros per year, the current level of the Balkenende Standard, the Republicans said. The movement launced a petition campaign that officially kicked off on Saturday.

"The vast majority of Dutch people are bothered by the millions of income for the Oranjes," said Republiek chair Floris Müller. In addition to his salary of 1.1 million euros, Willem-Alexander receives almost 6 million euros in expense allowances.

"At a time when so many people are struggling, it is inexplicable that we pay the head of State so much money, it is unfair and a symbol of social inequality," said Müller. The Oranjes, the members of the Dutch Royal Family, are among the richest families in Europe.

As such, the compensation is not necessary, he argued. “It is nothing more than a billionaire subsidy and we want to put an end to that with our petition.”

Republiek placed a large scoreboard along the route the Royal Family walked during their visit to Emmen on Saturday. The scoreboard shows the current status of the number of signatures they have collected. "An interactive demonstration," Müller called the action, where people could also sign up during the event.

"I hope, of course, that the king will also sign it," Müller joked earlier this week. The leader of the movement said he hopes that the petition will eventually be signed at least 50,000 times before it closes ahead of Prinsjesdag, the Dutch government's Budget Day held annually on the third Tuesday in September. The organization then wants to present the collection of signatures to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament.