Dutch leaders react sharply to King’s Budget Day speech, criticize caretaker cabinet

Dutch political leaders and public sector organizations reacted strongly Tuesday to King Willem-Alexander’s annual Budget Day speech.

The Netherlands’ caretaker government, led by the VVD and BBB parties, holds only 32 seats in the Tweede Kamer, limiting its ability to pass new legislation. In his address, the King emphasized that “we cannot simply press ‘pause’ on people’s day-to-day concerns about work, communities, and housing” and called for cooperation across parties.

The Nederlandse ggz, the national mental health organization, criticized the speech for giving “barely any attention to mental health.” Chair Ruth Peetoom said the sector wants “a society in which mental health is just as self-evident as physical health.” She added that more funding is needed to reduce long waiting lists, noting that “patients often wait longer than the maximum term of fourteen weeks for help. Increasingly, young people struggle mentally: almost half feel lonely and highly stressed, while 15 percent contemplate suicide.”

Partij voor de Dieren sharply criticized the demissionary cabinet’s budget, calling it “morally bankrupt.” Party leader Esther Ouwehand said, “This cabinet only makes all major problems worse. They pour fuel on the fire of the climate and nature crisis. With extra fossil subsidies, nature policy is actively sabotaged.”

Milieudefensie campaign leader Peer de Rijk added that the government “once again shows it is in bed with major polluters,” criticizing the elimination of the CO2 levy and continued fossil fuel subsidies. “While achieving climate targets was already uncertain, climate policy is further undermined,” he said.

Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB), one of the two parties supporting the caretaker cabinet, praised the budget as aligned with “the concerns of ordinary Dutch citizens” and called it a “common-sense budget.” She highlighted reforms to asylum policy, measures to ease the housing shortage, and policies aimed at regional development. “We build where the demand is. Fewer Hague rules, more room in the region,” she said.

NSC lead candidate Eddy van Hijum echoed the King’s call for cooperation, saying his party “feels addressed” by the appeal. He added that NSC aims to use its remaining 19 seats in the Tweede Kamer to advance policies on purchasing power, simplify the benefits system, and stimulate housing construction—continuing the goals set under former leader Pieter Omtzigt.

PVV leader Geert Wilders urged the rapid formation of a new government. “We need to ensure the asylum influx stops. Almost nothing is being done,” he said. Wilders, whose party previously left the coalition, suggested supporting a minority cabinet, though other parties, including JA21, see little merit in this approach. The PVV is polling at 29–35 seats, down from a previous peak of 49.

Frans Timmermans of GroenLinks-PvdA expressed frustration with the demissionary cabinet’s budget, saying, “Stagnation is glaring, and we cannot afford another year like this.” He called for the Tweede Kamer to outline post-election investment plans to revive the country.