Few questions for PM Schoof to answer on second day of budget debate
Typically, the second day of the budget debate is reserved for the Prime Minister and Cabinet to answer parliament’s questions about next year’s budget. This year, caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof won’t have much to do. Because even though the first day of the budget debate ran so long that it was decided to stop at midnight and continue this morning, the actual budget received little attention, NOS reports.
It wasn’t too surprising that very few questions were posed to the Cabinet during the traditional debate following Budget Day. The twice-collapsed Cabinet of the VVD and BBB presented only a slim pile of plans on Tuesday. The party leaders were mainly focused on each other and pushing their election programs, with the parliamentary election coming up in six weeks.
The debate started with PVV leader Geert Wilders at the microphone for two hours. As is often the case, Wilders’ contribution led to a heated debate on migration and asylum. The far-right politician clashed with the leaders of GroenLinks-PvdA and D66, among others, who pointed out that the PVV was the largest party in the Schoof I coalition, but achieved nothing.
After the lunch break, the debate changed in tone somewhat, and the party leaders tried to find common ground on topics like reducing labor migration and helping the business climate i the Netherlands.
GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans came under fire for his plans on asylum seekers. For the first time, the left-wing party has set a limit on the number of migrants coming to the Netherlands per year - 60,000. According to parties like the CDA and VVD, the figure is meaningless because GroenLinks-PvdA doesn't want concrete, national measures to limit the number of people seeking asylum in the Netherlands. Timmermans is mainly relying on European measures. “That’s why it will never work with the left,” VVD leader Dilan Yeşilgöz said. “And that’s why we need a center-right Cabinet.”
CDA leader Henri Bontenbal, whose party is making significant gains in the polls, faced many attacks from the other parties. His plan for a “freedom contribution” to help finance higher defense spending, in particular, faced criticism. The CDA wants to achieve the “freedom contribution” by increasing VAT or corporate tax.
GroenLinks-PvdA and VVD are against increasing tax burdens for citizens or businesses to hike defense spending. “Do you want to make groceries more expensive to pay for defense investments?” Timmermans asked. Yeşilgöz also wants more defense investments, but is against the CDA’s plans. “I’m not going to raise taxes at home or tax businesses to death, but rather focus on where the government can reduce spending.”
Bontenbal responded that he wants to fund the bulk of the higher defense investments by cutting government spending, but acknowledged that he is also proposing an additional tax. “That’s not nice, but that’s the honest story,” he said. “Freedom isn’t free.”
The intention was to conclude the first session of the debate, where each party leader has a chance at the microphone, on the first day of the two-day budget debate. Ultimately, the debate ran so long that it was decided to end around midnight. On Thursday morning, the party leaders who have not yet had a chance to speak will have their turn. Afterward, Prime Minister Schoof will respond to the questions on behalf of the Cabinet.
